Ninja Pirates
by raepan2010
Summary: OC Two ninjas somehow get involved in the affairs of the Strawhat and Heart Pirates through no fault of their own, or so they claim. After they get word from their home island they finally receive a mission: Join the pirates and give the World Government as much grief as they possibly can. Check and Check. "This is going to be fun." (Zoro, OC) (Law, OC)
1. The Five Islands

_Raepan2010 here with another story. I know that I promised a few people a sequel to my story_ _Nunya Bizniz_ _, I promise that I haven't give up on that idea. At the end of this prologue there will be a teaser for a scene somewhere in that story. For now I thought that I would tide some of my fans over with another story idea I had. As for_ _Nunya_ _I'm still waiting for my friend. Refer back a few chapters in the story. I have made mention of her olympic class procrastination: nothing's changed. She's still a world class procrastinator and (unfortunately) she's proud of it. I keep pushing her to get the leg out, but it's like beating a dead horse. Anyway, this story is a self-insert once again. It's the kind of story I'm best at after all. I loose interest any other way. While some could make the arguement that this is a Naruto crossover I'm not putting it there. The reason is because that it makes references to the Naruto world, but none of the characters from Naruto will be appearing in this story. There might be mention of great heroes and such, but that's the closest you're going to get to the original characters being in this story. Now that I have that out of the way, on with the obligatory disclaimers!_

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto. BOTH BRILLIANT!

 **Ninja Pirates**

Prologue: The Five Islands

Years ago the world was vastly different from what it is today. This information has been lost to history with no hopes of it's discovery. The world was separated into large land masses known as continents. The continents were further divided into countries, separted by land borders that were only seen on maps. There was one continent that was of particular note. On this continent existed the Five Great Nations of Ninja.

For many generations these nations had been at odds with one another, war occasionally breaking out. One war was different from the rest. A single enemy had targeted all of the nations and made them his enemies. As a result the nations banned together and formed an alliance for the first time in history. It was a hard and long fought battle, nearly causing the world to be placed into an eternal slumber. However, two young men fought and overcame their enemy to save the world. Those men were the heroes of the Five Nations, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiiha. Their story had been written in the history books and immortalized in all of the major cities of the Five Nations.

Two generations later a calamity struck that none were prepared for. A worldwide earthquake the likes no one had ever seen. It changed the shape of the world and it's oceans. Massive floods destroyed most of the land, sinking even the mountains. The largest continent was torn apart with more then half of it flooding. A thin strip from the center of the continent had miraculously been spared. As the earthquake subsided masses of land connected to the strip that was left of the great continent. When the world stopped shaking the land had come to form a single ring around the entire planet.

Islands great and small littered the world. Among these islands were the once Five Ninja Nations, now split apart from each other. The islands were much smaller than the original borders. Some loosing only a small part of their land while others had lost over half. The main cities of the nations had survived destruction. The survivors of the 'Great Quake' had to rebuild, but they were alive. The five islands kept in contact with each other and maintained their alliance throughout the years. They did what they could to protect the people and to keep outsiders from interferring with their ways of life.

The ninja watched as the new world lost the technology and history it once had. Returning from ships that utilized engines and propellers to sails. The ways of doing things had begun to change as well. People were now using snails to communicate instead of phones or radios. Through it all the islands kept to themselves. There were the occasional explorers that would land. On the island of sand, most gave up due to heat and lack of life along the outer edges. None ventured towards the center of the island where the people lived peacefully. The rain island was too bothersome for most explorers to stay longer then a few days and never did they risk going out into the rain. The island of mountains proved to be unapproachable for those that didn't know where it was safe to land, the island being mostly sheer cliff. A hidden cave at water level was the only entrance. The island of clouds had a bit more trouble with intruders. The ninja lay natural looking traps for the explorers or use their nin-kin to look like threatening beasts that lived in the wild. The same was true for the island of forests.

The forest island had to be the most vigilant. It's mild temperatures and idle climate made it the choice landing zone for would-be-explorers. The ninja had learned to work along the coasts in different shifts that lasted a month. Twenty or so ninja would be sent to stay along the coast for a month, some patrolling days and others at night, to keep a look-out for explorers. Most of the time the ships wouldn't stay longer than a few hours. There were a few times when outsiders were allowed to learn of their secrets, but they were far and few between.

One such man was Monkey D. Dragon. He made landfall and was instantly aware of the presence of others. He immediately made it known that he had no intention of taking over the island, enforcing the inhabitants to join the government or raiding them. His only interest was in restocking his ship with water and vegetation. He made the same stop several times over the years. His continued persistance of only stocking supplies caused the ninja to lower their guard around him slightly. An action he noticed, but did not take advantage of. He saw it as a good sign of gaining allies against the current government that was oppressing the people. It took some time, but he and his most trusted men were finally allowed to enter the city in the center of the island.

He could not gain an alliance even to this day. He did gain the trust of the leader of the village and that was enough for him. He had the patience to wait for them to take a stance in the world whether it be neutral, with him or with the government was up to them. He wasn't going to push the leader into making a decision. That was a good way of making things work against him.

The villagers came to know and respect Dragon. His top agents were also respected. Ivankov became popular with the children in the academy. They were amazed that someone could actually change their gender for real instead of using a cloaking jutsu. Kuma was another that the people came to trust. His appearance grew more sparse as the years went on though. Finally, the youngest member of Dragon's agents was Sabo. He joined Dragon as a young child and grew up knowing the secrets of the five islands. He was quite interested in their history and their fighting techniques. He never had a chance to learn of either. Until now, that is.

 _So that's the prologue. It was a little on the serious side for my writing. Sorry about the lack of laughter. But the jokes will be coming soon, promise. You can't have One Piece without comedy, it just isn't right. Now for the teaser scene from_ _Nunya Bizniz 2._

 _ **Missy found her way to the lodge. Her hopes were fulfilled, the open bar had been left untouched. With a sly smirk she made her way to the bottles of liquor. "Triple Seq," she started to read off. "Grenadine, Light and Dark Rum, Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cocoa, Apple Pucker, Absolute, Kalua and so many others. You could have one helluva party with this stuff."**_

 _ **"There you are," Rachel's voice sounded from the other side of the lounge. "I've been looking for you. I thought you would have been raiding the bridge."**_

 _ **Without looking at her, Missy answered. "That's my next stop after I load a cart with the good stuff."**_

 _ **"So all of it."**_

 _ **"You're damn right," Missy started pulling out bottles. "What are you waiting for? Get over here and help me."**_

 _ **"I will in a minute," Rachel answered. "First, you have to tell me what you think."**_

 _ **"What I think about wha..." Missy turned around to see what Rachel was talking about only to freeze at the sight. She blinked a few times, blinked some more and then shook her head. "Wh..Why are you dressed like a U.S. Naval Officer? In a short skirt no less?"**_

 _ **"It's a present," Rachel answered. She put a hand on her hip and gave Missy the 'duh' look.**_

 _ **"I know I'm going to regret this," Missy muttered. "It's a present for 'what' exactly?"**_

 _ **"It's a present for Zoro."**_

 _ **Missy blinked at Rachel and then smirked again. "I don't think it's his size. Not to mention I wasn't aware that he swung that way."**_

 _ **"Not like that you dork," Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'll be the one wearing it."**_

 _ **"Then how is it a present for him?"**_

 _ **On the second floor ledge of the lounge, just out of sight, the rest of the Strawhat Crew and Heart Pirates finally caught up to the two. They were following the sound of voices and could hear the two women's conversation.**_

 _ **"You've never heard of role playing?" Rachel asked. "What could be better than playing 'Pirate swordsman corrupts innocent marine recruit'?"**_

 _ **Sanji's nose started to bleed from what he just heard. He slapped a hand to his nose and snapped to face Zoro. He and Brooke shouted to the swordsman at the same time. "YOU LUCKY BASTARD!"**_


	2. New Training

_To keep with traditional sounding names I've converted mine and my friend's name to their Japanese versions. Melissa is Merissa and Rachel is Reecheru. I hope that clears up any confusion on the name changes. For reference I used the conversion app on the website_ _japanese-name-converter_ _. If anyone is curious on other names then that's the place to look._

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Ninja Pirates**

Chapter One: The New Training

It had been five years since Sabo was rescued by Dragon. The young man was now at the age of fifteen. He implemented a unique fighting style. It utilized the style that Dragon had taught and impressed upon the man. At the same time Sabo refused to use any other weapon other than the lead pipe that he carried around. It was not only a reminder of his days of youth, running through the forest with Ace and Luffy, it was also his only connection to his two brothers. His dream had changed through the years. He now dreamt of not only freeing the people from the control of the Celestial Dragons and World Government, but he also dreamed of the day he could reunite with Ace and Luffy. He knew they thought that he was dead and he looked forward to the day he could prove he was alive to them.

Sabo could usually be found in the dojo during his free time. He enjoyed sparring with the fishman Hack. The two were quickly becoming friends and forming a strong bond. A young girl by the name of Koala could be seen following them around. Neither minded and often asked if she wanted to learn to fight. She would shyly decline or blush without a word. It was during one of these times that Dragon approached Sabo with Kuma.

The three stood off to the side. "You've been with me to Konoha on several occasions now, haven't you?" Dragon started off. "You've seen that even their young children can fight and hold their own against some of the adult marines."

"It's a fascinating technique," Sabo nodded. "They use Haki in their attacks, but at the same time it's not Haki. If it can be used in battle against the World Government then our chances of success in the upcoming war could not only double, but triple. If only we could get them to agree to either sending some ninja to fight alongside us or to let us send some recruits to them for training."

"That's what I brought Kuma here for," Dragon said. "He'll use his devil fruit ability and send you to the Island of Leaves. Their leader has agreed to take on one person for training in their style. I've chosen to send you because you show so much potential. Even from a young age I could tell you were destined for great things."

Sabo's eyes widened at the news. "I'm going to train in Konoha? For how long?"

"Now that's up to you," Dragon gave a small shrug. "You can come back when you feel like you've absorbed enough knowledge. I do expect you to come back though. This is just a step in the road to our fight against the government."

"I'll gladly walk down that road," Sabo smirked. "When do you want me to leave?"

"Pack a few things," Dragon started walking away. "Only the bare essentials though. You'll be provided a room and a way to provide yourself with food." Sabo's nod of acknowledgement went unseen since Dragon still had his back to him. Sabo knew the action wasn't needed, but it was involuntary to acknowledge Dragon. Sabo viewed Dragon as a father figure and had great respect for the man.

Not an hour later Sabo was sent away by Kuma. A trip by boat would normally take the better part of a month from the Revolutionary Headquarters. Kuma's powers allowed Sabo to make it there in three days. Upon waking, Sabo found himself in a small crater surrounded by trees. He slowly stood to his feet and brushed himself off.

"Morning blondie," a voice called from above.

Sabo looked to see where the voice came from. Standing on a branch was a girl wearing a blue sleeveless vest that was only buttoned part way down. The garment showed her midriff with each breeze. She was also wearing a pair of black shorts that were tight yet flexible and stopped just above her knee. Strapped around her thigh was a matching blue pack. Sabo just knew that it was holding kunai. On her feet was a pair of open toed shoes. In every other place that Sabo had been she would appear strange. But it didn't phase Sabo in the least. He had become used to the way that the people of Konoha dressed. Some more traditionally than others, but almost all in a way that allowed freedom of movement. The only people that didn't wear such clothing were the people not trained as ninja, or civilians as they were called by the ninja.

"It's good to see you again Merissa," Sabo greeted. The female ninja was the same age as him, but she had completed her ninja training years ago. All the students graduated from the academy between the ages of ten to twelve. There were some extreme cases where the children could graduate earlier. If a student didn't graduate by the time they reached thirteen then they were expelled from the academy and expected to live as a civilian for the rest of their life.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up for hours," Merissa complained. "My family is the one that will be hosting you during your training. I'm under orders to bring to the Hokage so that you can be given instructions."

Sabo hefted his sack of essentials over his shoulder. "Then by all means, lead the way."

"Let's start your training now," Merissa smirked. "Keep up with me if you can." Using that his only warning, Merissa leapt from one tree branch to another as she headed to the village. Sabo cursed under his breath and took off at a brisk run. He pushed himself to go as fast as he could, knowing that he could loose sight of Merissa if he slacked off even a little. All ninja were trained to be able to use the trees for travel. It naturally hid them from unwary onlookers better than traveling on the ground ever could. It was Sabo's first goal in training here to be able to run through the trees like that.

It didn't take long for Merissa and Sabo to reach the village gates. Merissa stood at the entrance waiting for Sabo, tapping her foot impatiently. Sabo jogged up to her as he started gasping for breath. "You really need to work on your stamina," she pointed out.

"We just...ran ten...miles," Sabo managed. "In... ten... minutes. You could... cut me... some slack."

"Not a chance blondie," Merissa scoffed. "You won't learn anything about ninjutsu if we're always taking it easy on you. Let alone Taijutsu and genjutsu." Sabo's shoulders slumped in defeat. She was right of course, he wouldn't learn anything if they always took it easy on him during training.

After the meeting with the Hokage, a woman by the name Shikaru Nara, Merissa led Sabo to the house she lived in with her parents. Compared to the wealth the clan used to have, the Uchiiha's were now only considered a higher ranking family. They were no longer the great clan that lived in one of the clan complexes that they used to be. A distant ancestor of Merissa's had made sure of that.

"Several other families offered to put up with you while you trained," Merissa explained. "It was the Hokage's decision to put you with us for several reasons. The main reason is that you and I are the same age. She thought that you would be able to relate better to someone your age and tell them if you had any problems while training. I'll tell you right now though, I don't want to hear any of it."

"Thanks," Sabo said sarcastically. "I can just feel the loving acceptance."

"Another reason is that my mom is a medic nin. When you get hurt during your training she'll be able to take care of you."

"Don't you mean 'if'?"

"No, I meant 'when'. The final reason is that my father was actually agreeable to it. It's rare for him to agree to anything that doesn't really have to do with us. You could have just as easily been set up to live with one of the other families. Don't ask me how you did it, but somewhere along the line my dad became impressed with your skills. I wouldn't be surprised if he became your tutor at the end of each day. If I were you I would be prepared for a lot of pain and a vast number of new scars."

"Again, I can feel the love."

"The Hokage has you set up with a number of Genin jobs to help build your stamina," Merissa ignored him. "Your jobs will get harder as she feels you improve. She has a personal goal set up for you. She plans on your making it through the Chunin exams in a year." Merissa turned to him with a smirk now. "You're so going to be coughing up blood."

"Thanks for the vote in confidence." Sabo's face had broken out into a sweat. 'Just what have I gotten involved in here?' he asked himself. He somehow felt that this won't be the first time that he asks himself that question.


	3. Separate Ways

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Ninja Pirates**

Chapter Two: Separate Ways

During his time in Konoha, Sabo had made a good number of friends during his stay. Two of his closest friends is Uchiiha Merissa, who's family had hosted his stay, and another ninja named Hyuga Reecheru. She was the second born of the Hyuga clan and three years younger than the two of them. Sabo was fascinated with the way that her eyes looked. They had a cornea like everyone elses, but the pupils were a pale and milky purple in color. It looked like she was completely blind. Sabo had made the mistake the first time they met of assuming that she was. To his amazement she had proven that she could not only see just like everyone else, she could also see the way that the chakra flowed through his system and then cut off the chakra circulation without much effort.

During a sparring match with Reecheru, Sabo had a difficult time fighting someone that used a style called the 'Gentle Fist'. It implied that she and her technique were weak. He had started to go easy on her only to discover that he had lost the match in seconds. "The 'Gentle Fist' isn't about overpowering your opponent," Reecheru had explained. "It's about using the pressure points of your opponent so that they become weaker and unable to fight. Most will give up when they realize they're unable to use their most basic of techniques." After the sparring match with Reecheru, Sabo could only infuse his Dragon Claw with Haki for a full day. Once he showed that he could still retain a good deal of strength, Reecheru trained with him more. She was determined to find the flow of Haki through the human body like she could with Chakra.

Sabo, Merissa and Reecheru were put on a team together for their missions. This allowed Sabo to learn some of the secrets that the ninja possessed. The biggest strength ninja's had, in Sabo's opinion, was that some families had special abilities that were passed down through blood relatives and could not be learned by any other. Merissa's family had the Sharingan. Though Merissa herself had gained the Sharingan, she rarely used it due to the potential loss of her eyesight. She had to explain that she only had the first level of the Sharingan. To gain it's further abilities she would have to do certain things, such as take the life of a loved one. No Uchiiha had done that since their ancestor Sasuke. It was considered a taboo at this point.

The Uchiiha's also had a technique that they taught only to their children. It was a method to store their extra Chakra over the years. They could activate it when they felt the need was great enough. In this way, they had a nearly endless supply of Chakra at their disposal. The side effect was a mark would appear in the middle of the forehead. The mark appeared in the shape of a diamond, though the color would vary from one person to another. Merissa's mark was a rich purple. It made her happy as that was her favorite color.

Reecheru's family passed down the Byakugan. It's what caused her eyes to look as they did. She explained that the heir of the Hyuga Clan is decided based on the eyes. Being the first born or not didn't matter, nor if one of your parents was the current leader. Before the clan started marrying into other families all of their eyes were a solid color with no discernable cornea. Now that marriage outside of the clan was allowed the children were born with almost normal looking eyes. The only one that had the traditional solid eye color was the one that would be heir. In this instance, it was Reecheru's older brother that was next in line.

As Sabo learned the history of the clans he discovered that the Hyuga Clan used a 'Caged Bird Seal' on those that weren't the heir or leader of the clan. It was a method to ensure that the Byakugan wouldn't fall into the wrong hands should a member of the clan die or turn rogue. The seal would cause the Byakugan to disappear or become useless upon the death of the family member. Sabo also learned that the seal was no longer in practice. After the 'Last Great War' and the 'Alliance' there was no longer any danger of the Byakugan being used by enemies.

Reecheru shocked both Merissa and Sabo one day. She brought them out to the training grounds. "One of my ancestors originaly developed this technique," she started. "You two would know him as the Fourth Hokage. It was lost at his death though. His grandson, Baruto, did some investigating and then found a way to recreate it. It's been passed down to the descendants that show a talent for it ever since." Reecheru then produced a three bladed kunai with a seal tied to it. She dropped it at her feet. She then produced two more of the strange kunai and threw them to either end of the field. "Watch carefully," she smiled. She did a few hand signs and then she vanished.

Sabo and Merissa couldn't even follow where Reecheru had gone. "Over here guys," Reecheru's voice called. The two turned to the direction of the voice. Reecheru was standing over one of the kunai she had thrown. She did the hand signs again and vanished the same as before. Now that the two were catching on, Sabo and Merissa turned to the last kunai Reecheru had produced. There she was, standing over it with a grin on her face.

"How can you move that fast?" Merissa asked. "I couldn't even see you move."

"That's because I didn't move," Reecheru answered. "The seals on the kunai allow me to transport myself to any desired seal at any time. The catch is that I must have a seal as a starting point. I just can't be standing somewhere and suddenly want to be somewhere else. There has to be a purpose to it."

"I would love to learn that," Sabo pointed out. "But I'm afraid that I don't have the time."

"What do you mean?" Merissa asked.

"I've learned a great deal from my stay here," Sabo explained. "I'm really grateful for everything the village has done for me. But I'm needed back with the Revolution. I've already stayed probably longer than I should have." Merissa and Reecheru nodded their heads in understanding. Everyone knew that Sabo's training was only temporary. "I promise to keep in touch with you."

"You had better," Merissa threatened. "Otherwise we'll be sending the Anbu after you to drag you back and beg for mercy."

"Like the Hokage would let you do that," Sabo smirked. After a quick round of 'Battle Royale' sparring, the three went their separate ways. Sabo bid 'good-bye' to Reecheru in case he didn't see her before he left the next day. He and Merissa walked back to her home in companionable silence.

The next morning Sabo left the village. Reecheru and Merissa had seen him off to the gate. He made his way through the forest and towards the shoreline. As expected, Dragon's main ship was there and waiting for him. It had been two years since Sabo first arrived in Konoha for training. Now he was seventeen and ready to take on the World Government. Though he knew he still had a lot of waiting to do. Dragon had plans and goals to achieve before they declared a full out war on the government.

"It's going to be boring without someone to torture...I mean train," Reecheru sighed.

"We could always resort to more childish antics," Merissa pointed out.

"Do you still have that itching powder from our last covert mission?"

"Are you kidding me? I never throw away anything that I can use for my own amusement." Thus began the two's reign of terror through pranks in Konoha.


	4. Time to Help

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Ninja Pirates**

Chapter Three: Time to Help

Through the next few years Sabo had visited Konoha now and then when he had time to spare between missions. He brought his two direct subordinates with him sometimes. Their names were Hack and Koala. Koala had learned Fishman Karate from Hack while Sabo trained in Konoha. During one of these visits Sabo had arranged for a News Stork to fly over the island and drop a paper. This way the village wasn't completely cut off from the rest of the world as they had been.

Reecheru was returning to Konoha from her one month patrol of the shoreline. She was entering the gates to the village when saw a shadow pass overhead. Looking up, she immediately recognized the News Stork. Taking off at a run she chased after the bird in hopes to get the paper first. She always wanted to look and see who the big wigs of the world were, just in case certain 'opportunities' arouse. Merissa was no better as she had the same goals. The two made it a training game or a race as the rest of the village seemed to call it. All ninja tricks and skills were allowed as long as they didn't involve the other occupants of the village. The one to reach the paper first and bring it to the Hokage undamaged could keep it after the Hokage did her own 'research'.

Reecheru had just climbed onto a roof when she noticed Merissa running towards the village from one of the training grounds. Muttering a curse under her breath, because out loud was unlady-like, Reecheru took off after the bird. It wasn't above her to throw a kunai at the flying fowl to get it to drop it's precious information before it could reach the Hokage tower. It was just a matter of knowing where it fell and if she could get to it before anyone else had a chance. So Reecheru bided her time, getting as close as she could without risking Merissa getting close enough to interfere.

Feeling particularly daring this day, despite being out of the village for a month, Reecheru leapt at the bird. She tackled it to the nearest roof and wrestled a paper out of it's bag. She stood up with a cheer, paper clutched to her chest. If she held it in the air that would give Merissa an easier target to steal. The bird got back into the air with a loud racket of noise and flapping wings. Ignoring it's obvious insults, Reecheru waved to it cheerfully. "Thanks for the paper," she called. The next part of the race was to get the paper to the Hokage undamaged before Merissa could steal it from her.

Two hours later and a lot of ducking, diving, dodging, shurikan and kunai throwing later found both Reecheru and Merissa standing in front of Lady Shikaru. The two were bent over with their hands on their knees as they gasped for breath. Reecheru held out her hand that was clutching the paper. "I...win..." she managed to get out.

With a shake of her head and roll of her eyes Shikaru took the paper from Reecheru. She gave it a once over as she checked for damage. It was a little stained from dirt and what looked like blood. Shikaru raised an eyebrow at this and looked back to the two young Jonin. Reecheru had a cut on the back of the hand that held the paper. Blood ran between her thumb and index finger. 'That explains the blood,' Shikaru thought. A glance at Merissa showed that she had a bruise developing on her chin. 'I might have to stop these training sessions. It's starting to get a little too competitive.'

Without a word Shikaru opened the paper and started glancing at it. The paper announced some sort of execution along with an article about an attack on some 'Celestial Dragons' by a band of 'blood thirsty pirates'. There wasn't anything worth particular note that could be used against the government this time. Shikaru handed the paper back to Reecheru who had finally caught her breath. "Then this is yours," she said. "You two take this race too seriously. If I see blood on the paper again then I'll put an end to it and you'll get the paper in turns instead of who has the best skill."

"That's no fun," Merissa whined.

"What?" Shikaru pointed a glare at them.

The two shared a look and then bowed in respect. "We'll be more careful Lady Hokage," they unisoned to their leader.

"That's better," Shikaru went back to her work. "You're dismissed."

As Reecheru turned around she was already opening the paper. What she saw made her stop in her tracks. The lack of action caused Merissa to look back to her and the Hokage to look up. "Is something the matter?" Merissa asked.

"What was the name of Sabo's brothers again?" Reecheru asked instead.

"I think he said the youngest was Luffy and the other was Ace," Merissa tapped her chin with a finger. Her eyes widened as she seemed to realize that something in the paper caused the question.

Reecheru whipped around and faced the Hokage. "I'm sorry Lady Hokage, but I must ask a favor of you. Please allow me to take a leave of absence." She handed the paper back to Shikaru with the article of the execution open. "This man, Ace, is Sabo's brother. What kind of a team mate would I be if I didn't go and see if Sabo needed help?"

"I request a leave of absence as well," Merissa stepped up next to Reecheru. "Sabo is the third member of our team. We just can't sit back and let him face this alone."

Shikaru sat at her desk in thought. The door to the conference room opened then. Two elderly people walked in. "Grant their request Hokage," the oldest, a woman, said. "It will give the village a vacation."

"Give the village a vacation?" Shikaru asked. She had a feeling she knew what was meant, but she needed to make sure.

"These two and their pranks," the male elder clarified. "It's driving us insane with all the compensation and apologies we have to send out when their pranks start to involve the civilians. However harmless they are, they are still pranks and require some level of clean up."

"I can't just send off two Jonin on vacation," Shikaru deflected.

"Then make it a mission," the woman ordered. "In fact, I'll make it an official A class mission. Send these two out into the world to gather information. They can take as long as they need. Although I'm encouraging five years of gathering intel. If they think they need to stay away longer to gather more information then it's more than fine."

"You want us to write a book?" Merissa joked.

"Yes!" Both of the elders yelled at once.

Shikaru started laughing under her breath. She wasn't surprised that things had come to this. Between every flagpole having flown an elder's under garment once or twice, road signs rearranged, important meetings of people either showing up late or to the wrong location and an entire list still stretching a mile long it was only a matter of time before people were begging to send the two culprits away for a while. "It will take a while to draw up the paperwork," Shikaru informed.

"You're actually going along with this?" Reecheru asked. "You're going to pay us to go and help our friend?"

"YES!" The elders yelled.

"I'm paying you to gather information," Shikaru corrected. "If you happen to help your friend along the way then that's your business. The amount of information you bring back will depend on the size of the bonus when you return."

"If you return," the woman elder ranted. "Feel free to meet someone, fall in love and move away from the village. Poor bastards that they'll be."

The two ninja and Hokage ignored her ranting. "I'll have everything ready by the morning. Reecheru, I realize you just returned from a month long mission. I'm sorry that this is such short notice to be sending you away so soon."

"Formality doesn't suit either of us," Reecheru grinned. "First off, I requested to be sent out. Just don't pretend that you're not going to jump up and dance for joy once the two of us leave."

The two women left the village at dawn the next day. Both had spent the rest of the previous day with their families. Considering that it was a ninja village, both had an easy time of explaining to their parents why they were being sent away. At the gate of the village the families were bidding their daughters a safe journey. Reecheru's brother, Ryo, was handing her a large scroll. "I know that weapon scrolls aren't really your thing," he said with a grin. "But I know you can use it. Just remember that these aren't normal weapons. I sealed two hundred of the Flash Kunai in there. Drop one at every new island you come to. With any luck you won't need to use a boat for too long."

"That will come in handy," Reecheru said with a grin. "It will make for a quick escape. OUCH!" Reecheru dropped the scroll and held the top of her head. "What was that for?" she had tears in her eyes. Her brother was surprisingly strong.

"They're not for you to use as an escape route when you play a prank," Ryo said. "That was just a friendly reminder of the punishment you'll get if you misuse one of our ancestors techniques."

"I know all that already," Reecheru groaned. She glanced to the side and pouted. "You didn't have to hit me."

"Sure he did," Merisssa cut in. Reecheru looked at her to see that she was putting away her camera. It was obvious she just got blackmail material.

"No fair getting that on me," Reecheru pointed out.

"You burn yours and I'll burn mine," Merissa offered.

Reecheru eyed her a moment and then held out her right hand. "It's a deal," she said. The two shook hands, but both of them had their left hand behind their back with their fingers crossed. They both knew that the deal was never struck and that neither of them would be burning their respective blackmail pictures.

Once the 'farewells' were over, the two women headed for the shoreline. A small sail boat was set up for them. (Modern version ya'll) It also had a motor in case the two found themselves without wind. Reecheru produced the eternal logpose that would lead them to island Sabo said the Revolutionary Army was based. The sail was raised and they set off with a lurch.

It took them a week to reach Sabo. Obviously far too late to help him save his brother or to go save him on his behalf. But the two stayed and worked with the Revolutionists as a way to gather information on the government. It was their way of giving back to Sabo for not being there when he needed it most as well as finishing their end of the bargain to the Hokage. They enjoyed working with the Revolution so much that they joined and worked directly under Sabo. This caused a few arguments and some pranks with Sabo on the receiving end if the two ninja thought his orders were out of line. They were adamant about not revealing their skills to the government. So their skills were used for what they did best, remaining in the shadows. They were involved in infiltration missions and spying. It was right up their ally and they managed to prank a noble or two on their way back to report in.


	5. Lost then Island

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Ninja Pirates**

Chapter Four: Lost then Island (After the Two Year Time Skip)

Reecheru stared at Merissa from the other side of the boat. Her gaze was unwavering and steady except for the occasional blinking. Her face was set in an emotionless mask. The constant staring was setting Merissa's nerves on end. She tried to divert her attention away from Reecheru and her pale stare. Anything from reading, to wave watching and trying to find their location on the map. Reecheru's stare continued with ever increasing intensity.

"Can't you look at something else?" Merissa finally snapped.

Reecheru closed her eyes with a sigh. "Where are we right now?" she asked instead.

"I'm not entirely sure," Merissa muttered.

"How long until we run out of supplies?"

"If we stretch it then it might last two more days."

"What happened to our logpose back to Home Base?"

"I dropped it in the water when the Sea King attacked us."

"What happened to the Sea King?"

"You killed it."

"Why didn't we cut off some meat to replenish our supplies?"

"Because I refuse to watch an animal get cut up. That much blood that close upsets my delicate system."

Reecheru let out a snort through her nose in a silent 'bull shit' challenge. "So who's fault is it that we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, lost and nearly out of supplies so we can attempt to save ourselves?"

"Yours?" Reecheru leapt to her feet at that with a kunai at the ready. Her killing intent spiked so high that Merissa nearly fell off the boat. "Okay, okay, it wasn't your fault."

"You're not going to admit it, are you?"

"I've done nothing wrong."

Reecheru's killing intent lowered a touch, but did not fade. Neither did she put the kunai back into her leg pouch. "We're in this mess because of you," she hissed. "You had to take longer on your survey of that island than was planned. As a result our food supply is dangerously low. Not to mention the fact that if you hadn't been constantly holding the logpose instead of glancing at it now and then for our heading it wouldn't have fallen into the sea. Finally, **no one said you had to look at me getting us some meat**!"

"Details," Merissa waved her hand dismissively. "They're over-rated."

"They're the difference between life and death!" A snowflake passing across Reecheru's nose drew her attention. She looked to the sky only to see that it was a clear day. She then started looking in the different directions. Hope was written across her face when she spotted it. "Land Ho!" she called out. Merissa was immediately looking at her map and making notes in an attempt to figure out which island they spotted. "We're going to look for some supplies," Reecheru announced. She started directing their small sail boat towards the island. "With any luck I can find some wild life to restock some supplies. We can also melt the snow for a fresh water supply."

"Belay that thought," Merissa shouted. "Rae, we can't go there."

"Why the hell not?!"

"That island is Punk Hazard," Merissa stated. Reecheru blinked at her, unimpressed. "It's the island that the government abandoned when an explosion released poisonous gas all across the island. Not to mention that's the island where Akainu and Aokiji had their epic battle."

"Which resulted in Aokiji's epic fail," Reecheru nodded her head. "What's your point?"

"My point is we can't land the ship there," Merissa snapped. "It's too dangerous for life to be there."

"What's the harm in looking?" Reecheru asked. "If there's an abandoned Marine base then there should at least be some non-perishable goods there. Even if nothing survived on the island the chances of the poison still being there is slim. Especially since two admirals had taken the chance to fight on it."

"You'll have to give me better reasons than that."

"Here's a good one," Reecheru had an evil smirk. "If you don't help me reach that island then I know exactly who I'm using as Sea King bait." The two then began a staring contest.

In a move almost too fast to be seen, Merissa was helping the boat gain speed to Punk Hazard by rowing as well as letting the sail catch the wind. "So you think we'll find any supplies?" she asked.

Reecheru was looking through a telescope when she stiffened. "I think it's a possibility," she muttered. "If not the old base then we can pilfer from the Marine Galleon that looks like it wants to dock there."

"What?" Merissa stopped what she was doing and joined Reecheru. She took the telescope from her partner and looked. After a few moments she handed it back to Reecheru. "So I'll just turn us around," she started.

"You can do that if you, Bait," Reecheru smirked.

"Sometimes I really hate you," Merissa groaned.

Reecheru said nothing in response as she continued to watch the Marine vessel. It disappeared behind to cliffs of ice. It must have found a way up some sort of river to get closer to the old base. "I wonder if they were sent on a retrieval mission," Reecheru mused.

"Retrieve what though?" Merissa asked. "If this place was abandoned what's left?"

"It was abandoned due to an accidental explosion," Reecheru said. "I remember reading a report on it when we were gathering intel. Don't ask me which one, we've been on so many different missions. Anyway, if it was an accident then it stands to reason that whatever it was they were doing here had to be left behind. An emergency evacuation is just that. Basically grab the really important shit and run. Now that the poison must be gone the marines probably want to salvage whatever they can. Make sure that their resources aren't wasted, ya know?"

"It makes some sense," Merissa agreed. "But now we have to deal with the navy. If we're spotted then the chances of us being spies for Dragon or the Hokage ever again are shot to hell."

"I wouldn't mind that too much," Reecheru laughed. "The government has been getting on my nerves more and more lately."

"Admit it girl," Merissa monotoned. "You never gave them a chance to start with."

"Let me ask you this," Reecheru turned to face Merissa. "What would you do if the Hokage suddenly decided that the Hyuga Clan, Nara Clan and Inuzuka Clan could treat the civilians and lower ninja worse than the dirt we walk on?"

"I would revolt, obviously."

"What is it exactly that the Celestial Dragons have done for the citizens that the government claims to protect," Reecheru turned away. "Worse yet is that the people allow them to do it with their blessing. Something has to give. I'm putting some of my money in Dragon's pot. First step is to overthrow the current governmnet."

"I noticed that you didn't say you put all your money on him."

"Never put all your money in one pot," Reecheru adviced. "It's more lucrative and profitable to put money in several options at once."

"What pot did you put the rest of you money in then?"

"It's not in a pot yet," Reecheru admitted. "I'm keeping my options open right now. But don't worry, when I see a profitable solution then I'll let you know."

"I'm assuming that we're not talking money," Merissa steered the small boat around the same cliffs the marine vessel disappeared behind.

"Money has no value in the long run," Reecheru agreed. "It can't bring peace or happiness. In fact it's quite the opposite. Every intelligent creature of this world is after money one way or another. It results in greedy ambition. If you look right down into it, money is the root of all that's evil in this world."

"You say that because we don't have any away from Konoha."

"Shut up."

The small ship pulled up to a dock. "It looks like the marines all jumped ship," Merissa noted. "There doesn't seem to be a single person on board. Everyone left to go deeper into the island?"

"Technically the island is supposed to be abandoned," Reecheru pointed out. "Why would they need to keep a lookout on the ship if there isn't supposed to be someone around?"

"So we can just get what we need from their ship and go," Merissa smiled.

Reecheru jumped onto the dock and started to head deeper into the island. "Where's your sense of adventure?" she asked.

"I must have left it in my other pants," Merissa muttered. "I thought that the pants with 'self-preservation' in the pocket was the better choice."

"Only if you plan on living forever." Reecheru continued to walk away as she put a set of sunglasses on. There were designed to hide her eyes and their unusual look from people that would only stare and think she was blind or something else.


	6. Avalanche Trouble

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Ninja Pirates**

Chapter Five: Avalanche Trouble

Merissa followed Reecheru deeper into the snow covered landscape of Punk Hazard. "You realize that we could have just raided their kitchen," Merissa called. "We don't have to go into the haunted base for provisions that may or may not be there."

"You can raid the G-5 boat," Reecheru said. "I want to have a look at this place. I want to see what was so terrible that the government had to abandon it."

"You're most likely not going to find the answer," Merissa pointed out. "I highly doubt the world government would be as careless as to leave such information laying around for curious sailors to come across."

"Don't you mean pirates?" Reecheru glanced behind her to look at Merissa. "I suppose they might have laid traps for some exploring pirates. It's a good thing I'm not a pirate then."

"You're kind of missing the point," Merissa argued.

"I'm not missing the point," Reecheru countered. "I'm ignoring it."

"RAE!"

"If you're that worried then I'll go on my own." Before Merissa could stop her Reecheru was racing across the snow, using her chakra to keep her from leaving a single footprint.

Merissa lost sight of her in seconds due to heavy snowfall. "This can not end well," Merissa foresaw. "If anything happens I'm so blaming her in my report to Lady Shikaru." She then started to run across the snow as well.

Reecheru found the remnants of one of the buildings. Rising just behind it was a large cliff and a lake in the front. Reecheru turned to look out across the lake. The entire landscape appeared to be on fire on the other side. "I had heard about it," she spoke to herself. "It's in the spy reports back at HQ after all. Until now I didn't believe, what with being able to actually see it for myself." Reecheru stood staring at it for a while. "Kind of creepy." Reecheru glanced back at the building remnants again. The walls were blown out and only scraps of metal gave evidence that it had even been there. "I suppose I won't find anything here. I might have guessed the wrong direction. Oh well, it's not like we have to hurry."

Reecheru started to head back the way she had come. A loud noise drew her attention to the top of the cliff. "That sounded like a cannon," she muttered. Another noise had her looking up at the sky. "And that almost sounds like thunder." The clouds didn't look any different from normal snow clouds. The blood drained from Reecheru's face in realization. She moved to head closer to the cliff. She barely ran three feet when a shadow cast over the snow.

Reecheru looked up, her eyes widening as she saw a large amount of snow falling towards her. She had been too late in moving to avoid the avalanche. Reecheru took out one of her flash kundai and threw it towards the mountain. She then threw one into the snow at her feet. She made a few hand signs. She was then moved to the spot where she threw the first kunai. It did not get her out of the avalanche, but it did get her out of the worst of it. Reecheru covered her head just as the snow started to bury her.

Merissa was watching the entrance to the government building. Men in strange yellow suits were walking in and out of it. "I thought this place was supposed to be abandoned," she muttered. "I suppose that it would make a perfect hiding place for creeps though. Should have realized that one sooner."

Merissa took a look around. "Not a lot of noise down there. Reecheru must not have found this place yet. Good, that gives me a chance to find out what's going on without alerting them that there are intruders."

Reecheru had been digging through the snow for a long time. She had decided not to keep track of the time. It would only serve to annoy her if she didn't find the end of the snow in a decent amount of time. She had started shivering from the snow almost as soon as the noise from the avalanche had stopped. The longer she stayed trapped the worse it would likely become. Her main concern was hypothermia. Under no circumstances could she allow herself to fall asleep while she was still buried.

As that thought crossed her mind she finally broke through the snow. It was small at first, only the size of her hand. Reecheru used both hands to make the opening larger. She had to hurry, her eyelids were growing heavier by the second. Reecheru pulled her torso out of the snow with a great amount of effort. She laid her head down to rest for only a second. She never knew she had closed her eyes.

Zoro and Brook were left by Sanji in Nami's body to figure out what to do with the purple slime that was building up next to them. Zoro had tried to cut it at first. He stopped when it was obvious that wasn't going to work. Brook decided that he would give it a try. Zoro ignored him and watched the lake instead. He knew whatever Brook tried wouldn't work.

Brook stabbed at the slime only for it to cover his face with a hazy purple smoke. He backed up a couple of steps, crying out about poison. He took another step back only to trip and fall on his backside into the snow. After clearing the smoke from around his face Brook looked for what had tripped him. He started screaming as he put his boney hands to his cheek bones. The ruckus caused Zoro to look in his direction.

When Zoro saw what was making Brook freak he became curious. All he could see was dark colors of some sort. He started walking over when Brook chanted something about killing and offering apologies. Zoro stopped next to Brook and took another look at what was causing Brook's over-reaction. He let out a surprised noise that stopped short once he caught himself and stopped the emotion. In the snow was a woman that was half buried.

"I doubt you killed her Brook," Zoro stated. "It looks like it was the exposure." He leaned down and put his hand in front of her mouth. He felt a slight gust of air. "Besides, she's not dead. I can still feel her breathing." The two then set to work on getting the woman the rest of the way out of the snow.

After pulling her out Brook became curious and looked at the area she had been in. "Look at this Zoro-san," he said. "It looks like she had been trying to dig her way out of the snow." It looked like a narrow snow cave from where they were standing. "I wonder how long she was buried for."

"A better question would be who's she with," Zoro pointed out. "If she's from this island then we can expect her to be an enemy." He had a smile on his face that promised pain to anyone that would give him a good fight.

"What if she's not from the island?" Brook asked.

Zoro shrugged his shoulders and turned back to watch the lake. "We'll deal with that when the time comes," he said. "It's all up to fate whether we fight her or not."

Not too long after that Sanji/Nami emerged from the water with the missing torso. He was just getting a new coat when he noticed that the purple slime had gotten significantly bigger since he had been under water. "I told you to take care of it," he yelled at Zoro and Brook.

"We tried," they said in unison. They were acting out as if they were picking their noses.

Sanji/Nami looked like he was about to yell some more when something caught his eye. Hearts filled his eyes right away when he realized that it was a young woman laying in the snow. He then lost the look and glared at Zoro. "What did you do to her you shitty swordsman?" he/she demanded.

"What was that ero-cook?" Zoro demanded. He started to draw Shuusui out of it's sheath.

"Now's not the time for this," Brook interrupted. "We should think about getting this lovely lady out of the snow and someplace warm. By the looks of things, staying out here will only do her more harm."

"I can help with some of that," Kin'emon stated. He put a small rock on the woman's head and used his devil fruit ability to turn it into a thick blanket. "She needs to be fully wrapped in something warm," he explained. "Making a coat for her won't help in the long run. A blanket, on the other hand, will. I can carry her while she's fully wrapped inside without the cold hitting her skin."

"Who said you get to carry her?" Brook demanded. "I found her so I should be the one."

"I provided the blanket."

"Now's not the time to fight," Sanji/Nami interrupted. "Neither one of you is fit to carry her. Only a true gentleman has the right to carry such a lovely..."

"I'll carry her," Zoro interrupted. "It's obvious you three can't be trusted." He was looking pointedly at Sanji/Nami at the statement. "Not to mention that I doubt Nami's body would be able to carry her for very long."

"I hate to admit it Morimo," Sanji/Nami stated as he lit a cigarette. "You're right about Nami not being strong enough. However, that still doesn't give you the right to carry her. How do we know that you're not going to do ungentlemanly things to her under that blanket?"

Zoro instantly had two swords out. His teeth grew sharp and his eyes completely white. "I'm not like you, you damn love cook."

"My body or Nami-swan's," Sanji/Nami yelled. A fire erupted around him. "I'll still beat you into the ground shitty Morimo."

"I'm surprised at you samuari," Kin'emon stated. "Our honor code prevents us from taking advantage of women."

"Eh?" Brook cut into the conversation. "Are you telling me that Zoro-san is actually a closet pervert?" Zoro's head snapped to glare at Brook as Sanji/Nami started laughing. "Oooohhh, you're so scarey Zoro-san. I think my heart skipped a beat. Although, I don't have a heart to skip a beat to. Yohohohohohoho!"

As the four continued to argue the purple slime finished crossing the lake. It was then changed into something else by Ceasar Clown. Without another word on the issue, Zoro scooped up the still unconscious woman and started running for the lab. The three others weren't far behind in their retreat. Zoro had the woman's face pushed against his chest to keep the wind from hitting her only exposed skin.

 _ **AN: There's no actual avalanche in the Punk Hazard Arc. I choose the most likely place for that to happen though. The cannon shot that Reecheru heard was from the shot the Yeti brothers aimed to Zoro, Sanji and Brook that contained gas to make them drunk. In a snowy, mountainous region loud noises are bad. The vibrations could cause the delicate snow formations to crumble. That's the case here. None of the Straw Hats or Ceasar's minions saw it because they weren't in the area.**_


	7. For Your Lives!

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Ninja Pirates**

Chapter Six: For Your Lives!

Merissa was walking through the lab, not bothering to hide herself from onlookers. She didn't need to hide, no one was looking up. Using her chakra on the bottom of her feet Merissa was walking along the ceilings. It made for a convenient eavesdropping experience. As she was walking along she spotted a most curious sight. A little reindeer that was walking on two legs wearing clothes and a hat. He was acting like he wasn't supposed to be there. Hiding around corners, the wrong way she noted, and very skittish around loud noises. She then decided it would be a good idea to follow him around.

A few minutes tailing the smallish creature Merissa heard him muttering about finding out the chemical composition that was used to drug children. Having been eavesdropping the entire time she was in the building, she knew a little bit of what he was referring to. The two were in Ceasar's personal laboratory when some prisoners were brought in. The reindeer didn't have another exit. Merissa decided to stick around and find out what all the commotion was. She continued to watch as he listened to Ceasar's plans and the revealing of the Shinekune experiment.

The four men continued to run across the snow covered land in an attempt to escape from the poisonous jelly turned gas that was rampaging around them. They had witnessed the smoke turn the subordinates of Ceasar into some type of statue. Zoro moved the unconscious woman over his shoulder so that it was easier to run. The four were looking back towards the gas. "Oi, this doesn't look good," Nami/Sanji yelled.

Zoro's right arm tightened around the woman's legs. "You guys run as fast as you can," he ordered. He turned to face forward once again. "If you get caught, I'm leaving you behind! I already have one person to look after."

Brook let out a terrified scream at the prospect of becoming a skeleton statue. "Zoro-san, at this rate we're going to..." The men continued to run, letting out fierce growls and cries as they tried to gain more speed. "We're done for," Brook announced.

"It's at our heels," Kin'emon announced.

"Run faster than the wind!" Zoro demanded. The four concentrated more on their speed, their cries getting louder as they picked up the pace. They were running so fast that each of their legs were nothing more than a blur to any that was crazy enough to stick around and observe.

"Perhaps we've gained some distance?" Kin'emon ventured.

"Don't look back!" Zoro snapped. "Just think about running as fast as you can!"

"If only our Sleeping Beauty was awake," Nami/Sanji lamented. "She would be able to lift her beautiful eyes and tell us how much distance we've gained."

"Shut it you damn perv!" Zoro yelled. "Quit thinking about women and think about getting away from the gas!"

"Don't tell me what to do you shitty swordsman!"

"If you have the energy to argue perhaps you can run faster," Kin'emon observed.

"I could certainly use some of their extra energy," Brook commented.

The argument ended and the four continued their frantic running and screaming. "We can't keep running like this forever!" Sanji pointed out. More screaming was the response that he was given.

Brook paused in his screaming as he took an inhaled gasp. "Unidentified object at twelve o'clock," he announced. All the men looked forward as they tried to figure out what it was that Brook had spotted.

"What is that thing?!" Sanji yelled.

"It's a..." Zoro took a long look at the creature that was running ahead of them. He couldn't completely comprehend what he was seeing. "A dragon?" he finished.

"A dragon!?" Everyone else demanded in unison.

"Don't be stupid shitty morimo," Sanji yelled. "Dragons aren't real!"

"They have them on this island," Zoro corrected. "But this one is a lot smaller than the other one was. Maybe we can capture it and use it to fly away!"

"That's a splendid idea!" Brook cheered.

"Then it's decided," Sanji chorused. "We can't keep this pace up forever! We're going to capture him! Hold it right there, Dragon!" He developed a fierce look on his face. "You have to fly Nami-san's body and our Sleeping Beauty to safety!"

"What about the rest of us?" Kin'emon inquired

"Who gives a damn about you guys!?" Sanji snapped with sharpened teeth.

Merissa stared at the projection with wide eyes. "Ah, that's my crew!" Luffy announced. "They're being chased by the smoke. But, who is that Zoro is carrying?" Merissa slapped a hand to her forehead. She should have known something like that would happen when they split up. Thankfully the noise from the projection covered the noise from her slap, mostly. She didn't notice a pair of steely gray eyes under a brimmed hat look up and in her direction.

"What are they doing out there?" Franky asked. There was a brief moment of silence. "And what kind of running do they call that?"

"Oh, she's so getting reported to the Hokage," Merissa groaned under her breath. One of Law's eyebrows lifted at the muttering woman on the ceiling. He was concentrating on her, trying to figure out how she was on the ceiling to begin with so it wasn't hard to miss what she said. She was becoming a puzzle that he was now focused on, despite the situation.

With Ceasar announcing nothing outside of the lab would survive his experiment the cage the six captives were in started to move through an newly open exit in the wall. Ceasar laughing at how they were now doomed to face his 'pet' and die. Merissa's eyes narrowed at the prospect. It was becmoing more and more obvious who's side she was supposed to be on. She started to move out of the lab, still on the ceiling and unnoticed by all as far as she knew. Law was still focused on her as he wondered what she was planning to do.

Merissa's attention was brought back to the little reindeer as his knees started to tremble. She could see the internal struggle on his facial features. That's when she understood that those in the cage were his friends and that he wanted to help them, but he was unsure of himself. He then started muttering about what he should do. Whether he should stop Ceasar or what.

With a roll of her eyes, Merissa quickly scribbles a note. She crumbles it into a ball and then throws it. It smacks the reindeer right between the eyes. Naturally this caused the little guy to panic and resume his hiding behind a door. He had left the note in the doorway in his rush. She had to refrain from laughing when the reindeer dashed to the note and back into hiding. 'It's best if he stays hidden,' she thought. 'I can't imagine him being able to fend off Ceasar on his own.' Merissa then walked off, now on a mission of her own. 'Time to maim me a best friend.'

The four men continued to run with such speed that their legs blurred. "Even with this strange method of running," Kin'emon began. "The gas will soon be upon us!"

"The dragon is still so far away from us," Brook cried.

"We gotta hurry up and catch up to that dragon," Zoro pointed out. He looked to his side to check on his passenger. Her skin was starting to turn a strange color of blue. "Not just to get away from this gas. She's not looking so good!"

"It's that stupid way you're carrying her!" Sanji snapped. "A gentleman would never carry a woman over his shoulder like some barbarian! Though I shouldn't have expected anything else from you!"

"You want to say that to my face love-cook!" Zoro's teeth became sharp as he glared at Sanji. "Why don't you help and give useful information or even catching the dragon so we can fly away!? You're even more useless now than ever before!" Zoro sped off a little faster, pulling ahead of the others.

"I can't..." Sanji started panting heavily, gasping for breath. He was beginning to slow down.

"Sanji-san," Brook called out. "Just hang in there!"

"...can't run anymore," Sanji finished. "Nami's heart and lungs are only so strong. My chest...hurts." Sanji put an hand over his heart as he closed his eyes. "Chest..." he was still gasping for air. "Chest..." His hand lowered just a touch further so that he was now cupping the full-sized chest. Sanji's head snapped up then. "Oh! Chest!" Stars flashed in his eyes and he suddenly gained a boost in speed. He zipped past the others before they even realized what had happened. He jumped onto the dragon and brought it to a complete halt in one swift move. "Got 'em!" he called to the others behind.

Zoro's teeth became sharp and he glared in the direction of Sanji and the dragon. "What kind of strange power did you just tap into!?" he demanded. They were all jumping onto the back of the dragon as it started to get back up.

The dragon began running again just as Brook started to jump on. He missed landing on the thing's back, but he did manage to catch the tail. He was holding on for his very life now since the gas was coming ever closer to their position. Zoro moved the woman from over his shoulder and lay her on the back of the dragon in the crook of it's wing. He loomed over her and watched as the blue coloring in her cheeks began to fade and resume a healthy pink. Between the heat from the back of the dragon and his own she was starting to warm up. He platantly ignored the glare that was being sent to him by Sanji from his position on the dragon's neck.

"Why don't you run a bit more calmly!?" Brook cried to the dragon.

"More importantly," Zoro added. "Why don't you fly away!?" The dragon was screaming, now upset with the added weight of passengers.

"To think I've lowered myself to accepting help from a dragon," Kin'emon lamented.

"Quit acting so high and mighty," Sanji stated. He was looking ahead towards the front and at the lab that was getting closer. "It's thanks to Nami-san's nice body that we were able to catch it." He then began to blush. "Just thinking about it..." Hearts flashed in his eyes and he started to get a nosebleed.

The vein in Zoro's temple protruded as he snapped. "This isn't the time to be getting nosebleeds, you damn perv!"

Sanji's head snapped around to glare back. "Just because you have no appreciation for the ladies does not mean you have to crush my dreams," he yelled. One hand pointed at Zoro while the other held tight to the dragon. "Don't you dare try anything funny with my Sleepy Beauty while we're at it! I'm only letting you protect her because Nami-san's body wouldn't be able to and you're also keeping her warm. You make one false move and I'll have your long shanks on the grill!" The two then began a glaring contest.

"Not to interrupt you," Kin'emon started calmly. "BUT THE GAS IS UPON US!"

None paid much attention to what Brook was saying until he lost his grip. Zoro and Sanji looked behind them in terrified shock. Brook was nearly engulfed by the gas when another large creature landed on the ground behind them. It was a man with a brown-beard with the legs of an alligator. On his back was Nami in Sanji's body and Usopp. Usopp reached out and caught Brook before he entered the gas. "Now let's get out of here!" Usopp called.

Brownbeard caught up and matched paces to the dragon. "What are you guys doing here?" Zoro asked.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing, but that will have to come later!" Nami replied. "Right now I want to know who that is with you?"

"We found her in the snow," Sanji replied.

"Actually," Brook took over the explanation. "I tripped over her and thought I had found a dead body. Zoro found that she wasn't dead, Kin'emon gave her that blanket and she's been out like that ever since before I tripped on her. So we actually don't know who she is."

Usopp then started to scream. "She could be one of Ceasar's henchmen."

"She's not," Brownbeard chimed in. "I've never seen her before. Everyone on this island had to have their legs replaced with an animal's of some kind. She looks like she's whole."

"Couldn't Ceasar have henchmen that look normal?" Nami asked.

"The only two that I've seen that look somewhat normal are Ceasar Clown himself and that pirate warlord Law," Brownbeard answered. "I'm sure that you know this already, but Law would never lower himself to following Ceasar's orders."

"That's true," Nami agreed. "Alright then, let's just keep running for the lab."

The dragon the others were riding started slowing down. "Hey, this guy is getting tired," Sanji pointed out.

"At this rate he's going to be caught by the gas," Zoro noted as he looked behind.

"Hey, jump onto me," Brownbeard offered.

Kin'emon leapt over as soon as the words left him. "I am in you debt," he said.

Zoro carefully picked up the woman he had been carrying all along and leapt over. He placed her down next to Nami and Usopp. "Make sure that she doesn't fall off," he said. The two nodded their heads in agreement.

Sanji hadn't jumped over yet when the dragon bit Brownbeard's tail. Brownbeard shouted in alarm and started running faster. Kin'emon and Zoro were smiling at the new turn of events. "Oh," Kin'emon raised a fist in triumph. "That works quite nicely."

In the burst of speed Sanji had lost his grip on the dragon's neck and was now holding onto it's thrashing tail. "Yeah, keep it up!" he cheered.

Brook cheered Brownbeard on as Usopp called, "We're counting on you Brownbeard!" Nami had a pleased smile on her face. She had one hand on Brownbeard's back while the other held onto the arm of the unconscious woman.

With tears in his eyes Brownbeard called, "You all could show a little more concern!"

Merissa remained on the ceiling as she approached the sealed gates to the lab. She wasn't about to let anyone die if she could help it. She approached the lever to find it being guarded by 'sheep in jumpsuits' as she dubbed them. With a few well placed kunai they all crumbled to the ground. "Placing guards on a lever in an area that should already be well guarded," she tsked. "Ceasar certainly isn't paranoid." The sarcasm in her voice was dripping in it's venom. "Although with someone like me hanging around, he has reason to be." She was about to drop down and pull the lever when a hole appeared in the wall. She stopped herself from moving. She wanted to see how this was going to play out.

"What happened to them?" Tashigi asked. She was kneeling in front of the guards. She pushed one onto his back and let out a gasp. A strange knife was protruding from it's neck as blood was rushing out.

"It was a quick death," Law intoned. "It severed a main artery. He would have bled out quickly without a lot of pain." He knelt down and felt the blood that was pooling. "It's still warm, whoever did this could still be here." The others looked around nervously. Law straightened to a standing position. "It doesn't matter right now. What matters is striking Ceasar."

"Not before we save our troops," Smoker growled. He pulled the lever that kept the gate from opening.

Luffy took a spot on one of the bodies. "Whoever did this is strong though," he commented. He looked towards Robin then. "Right?"

"It goes without saying," Robin agreed. "Although, who they are and why they haven't revealed themselves are questions that I would like answered."

"We all would," Law stated. He cast a glance to the ceiling, but he was unable to see the person he had before. "We can only guess that for the moment they are on our side." The gates became fully opened and the G-5 soldiers rushed in. From the shadows Merissa held her breath. She was wondering how Law knew where to look for her. As far as she knew she hadn't left a clue to her presence besides just now.

A few more minutes of running and the lab came within sight of Brownbeard and his passengers. "We made it to the lab!" Usopp cheered. A round of cheers came up from everyone else as well. "Hey, hey! Wait, wait! The gates are shutting!" Usopp screamed.

"Just when we came so close," Brownbeard lamented as he kept the pace. They might make it if he kept running, but they would be dead for sure if he slowed.

"Open up! Let us in," Nami cried.

"It's no use," Usopp negatively screamed. "We're going to be caught by the gas and we'll all die!" The two started crying together.

Brook's soul left his body in his fright. "We're too late," he said morosely. "We're no longer meant for this world."

"Oi Kin'emon," Zoro called out. The attention of the samauri was drawn to him. "Can you cut through iron?"

Kin'emon looked to the gates and grit his teeth. "If that is all then it is but a trifle," he announced.

"Brownbeard, just run right into it," Zoro called.

"What are you saying!?" Brownbeard cried. "Then we'd crash head first into a solid wall!"

"Then you'd rather become consumed by the gas?" Zoro teased. Everyone shouted their words of disagreement. Zoro took that as his cue and stood with a serious expression on his face. Kin'emon followed his actions.

Brownbeard's face went from frightened to determined. "Then it's time for desperate measures. I'm going in!" He continued to run as he picked up a giant metal tube, not slowing his pace for an instant. He lifted the tube over his head.

"You're saying that this is our only choice?" Nami asked. She climbed onto Brownbeard's right shoulder, dragging the rescued woman behind.

"Whether we live or die is all riding on this," Usopp announced. He took up a position on Brownbeard's other shoulder.

"Are you ready?" Zoro asked.

"Of course," Kin'emon answered. Both of them then jumped onto the top of the metal tube that Brownbeard carried, one on either side. They each put their hands on their chosen swords and leapt for the gates. The area then flashed with blue and orange flames as they cut through the iron gates.

With a burst of both strength and speed, Brownbeard broke through the gate where Zoro and Kin'emon had cut. The two swordsmen were landing on the floor of the lab as Brownbeard skidded to a halt. "It's Zoro's group!" Luffy called.

"They've made quite the entrance," Robin noted.

Merissa's eye twitched in annoyance. "All that commotion and she still sleeps," she hissed. "The woman could sleep through the middle of a hurricane while riding a small boat. Forget reporting to the Hokage, I'm gonna kill her myself."

The G-5 soldiers started crying out. "They cut through the gate!"

"Hey! You guys made it!" Luffy called out. The new arrivals of the Straw Hat pirates looked up and smiled. Most of them called out to their captain. Only Zoro remained silent, but he did have a pleased smile on his face. Luffy then made a show of putting his hat on purposefully and inhaled deeply. "We're all here!" he yelled out. "YEAH, LET'S GO WILD!"

 _ **AN: I wrote this chapter a little differently than I normally do. I'm following the series pretty well through this chapter. The reason being Merissa is trying to stay out of sight while watching the series of events and Reecheru is out cold, literally. I felt that Reecheru's time with the crew needed to be noted whether she was awake or not. I will carry on with this writing style until I have Reecheru regain consciousness. Once that happens then I'll happily defiate from cannon once again.**_


	8. In the Lab

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Seven: In the Lab

Zoro looked at all the faces around him in indifference. The members of the G-5 marine unit were staring at them in open faced shock. "What did you guys do?!" one of them shouted out. The piece of the gate they had cut through finally landed on the floor with a resounding crash. Luffy was looking down at them and despite the fact they looked ragid and tired he let out a pleased laugh.

In the shadows Merissa was shaking her head. "Even in a coma she knows how to make an entrance," she rolled her eyes.

The threat of the poisonous gas drew everyone's attention from the explosive entrance. "It's great that we got in," Usopp voiced. "But now the gas can get in too!"

"What the hell did you do," the same G-5 member yelled. "Are you trying to take us down with you?!"

The unit then started rushing forward and past the exhausted group. "Everyone," another member yelled. "We have to seal up the hole or we're gonna die!" Zoro just watched as the top of the hole started to become sealed. He had a peaceful expression as the marines were rushing around him with various tools. Just as they finished sealing the gap the gas plowed into the gates. Loud creaking and shaking followed. A little debris from the ceiling fell with the force.

The marines crumbled to the ground as they caught their breath. Various sighs of relief could be heard. "Well," Nami started. "It seems that we're safe." Still in Sanji's body, she moved the blanket away from the face of their rescued passenger. A small grin spread across her face. "I don't see any sign of the blue that was on her face. In fact, I would say that her cheeks seem to be getting flushed like she's too hot."

"Brook," Sanji called out. He was still inside of Nami's body. "Why don't you take a look outside? What is it like out there?" Brook's soul, which had not yet entered his body again, slipped through the iron gate to look.

It was a moment before it came back. "How is it Brook?" Usopp asked hesitantly.

"Oh it is truly a land of death," Brook spoke in a spooky manner. "Just thinking about what would have happened if we hadn't sealed the hole in time..." His soul turned to face the marines closest to him. He stared at them pointedly. "Sends a shiver down my spine."

"YOU'RE THE ONE MAKING US SHIVER!" The marines shouted at Brook.

Zoro takes a look at the now sealed hole in the gate. He nods his head in acceptance and looks away. "Okay," he declared.

"THERE'S NOTHING 'OKAY' ABOUT IT!" The marines yelled again. "Everyone almost died because of you," one spoke out. "And we're the ones that sealed the hole." The marines then raised their weapons to the newly arrived Straw Hats. "These guys are even more careless then the rumors say. Prepare to die Straw Hat Pirates!" As an after thought they added, "And you too, Brownbeard the Pirate!"

Nami pulled the unconscious woman closer to her as Usopp stood over them. "I thought we were out of trouble, now we're immediately surrounded!?" he asked. "There's no place to run!" He turned to look at the wall behind him.

Kin'emon's eyes shifted as he took in the scene. Zoro developed a cocky grin on his face as he stood in front of the two women on the ground. "Who needs to run?" he asked.

"That's how it always goes," Nami sighed.

Sanji let out a chuckle as he replaced his lost cigarette. "It would be better for them if they gave up," he said. Brook let out a laugh and raised his cane sword. Brownbeard started blushing as he became amazed the marines knew his name.

Luffy jumped onto the rail that guarded the upper walkway he was on. He started to lean over for a better look. "Oh, it looks like things are really getting heated up down there." Luffy gave a small chuckle then.

Behind Luffy, Law was addressing Smoker and Tashigi. "Got it?" he asked. "The two of you are not to interfere with his crew or with me." Smoker gave a growl of agreement, against his better judgement.

"Eh?" A sudden female voice caught the attention of those on the walkway. "Traf! Hey you!" Looking down they saw Nami, still in Sanji's body, with her arm wrapped around her own body. The woman she had been guarding was now in Usopp's lap. "Now! Now!" she started waving her hand. "Right now!" Her finger then started pointing between the two of them. "Turn! Us! Back!"

Sanji's eyes widened when he realized what she was doing. He crossed his hands over his chest and started shaking his head. "You really don't have to turn us back," he whisper/yelled. Law sneered down at the two of them in annoyance.

"What are you talking about, Sanji-kun!?" Nami demanded.

"I don't really think it's a big-"

"Of course we have to change back," Nami interrupted.

"Tch!" Law closed his eyes, hoping to block some of their annoying behavior. He lifted his hand with his palm facing down. "Room!" he called out. A transparent dome covered the area. As soon as it passed the arguing Nami and Sanji his hand raised and fingers twitched in a certain pattern. "Shambles!"

The change was noticed immediately. Back in his own body Sanji gasped. "Damnit!" he yelled out. "My beautiful dream has ended!"

"What an idiot," Merissa muttered from her hiding spot.

Nami let out a cheer of happiness and started checking herself over. Soon a fire lit around her and her eyes turned red. "Sanji-kun," she called. When he looked in her direction she punched him in the jaw. "Why am I wearing a different coat!? You took my clothes off, didn't you!?"

Sanji tried to appease her with words to calm her, but it fell on deaf ears as he was sent flying. He landed hard on the ground with a look of bewilderment. "This hurts way more than a single punch," he moaned.

Usopp got a nervous look on his face. "Yeah about that," he started. "Your body was torn ragged when Nami got beaten by Ceasar." Sanji gasped in shock and started crying. "Hey, what's wrong now!?"

"I'm so happy," Sanji cried. "I'm so happy that it was my body that was beaten." He then promptly passed out.

Usopp developed tears of his own at that as he had to look away. "You have such a noble nature!" he gushed. His tears started landing on the face of the woman still unconscious in his lap. Though the twitching of her cheeks gave Nami the hint it wouldn't be too much longer before she woke.

"I have something to say to everybody here!" Law hollered out about all of the commotion. The area quieted and all were now paying attention to him. The marines were shocked to see him standing over them. "Right now the lab is completely engulfed in poison gas," he stated. "There is a single escape route to the sea that isn't exposed to the outside air." Law then gave a detailed description of the lab's layout. Merissa listened with avid attention. Towards the end she realized that the marines boat, as well as her and Reecheru's, were sitting not too far from the exit. At least they were, who knows what could have happened since they've been on the island. Law ended his speech by stating he could not guarantee any of their lives if they stayed where they were.

As Law was walking past him Luffy voiced his concern. "Are you going to do something to this tower?" he asked.

"If it's necessary," Law paused. "I only do what the situation calls for." He then continued to walk away.

"I see," Luffy let it go. Robin was watching Law walk away with suspicion. Luffy turned to look at her. "Robin!" She turned to look at Luffy. "I have a favor to ask."

Smoker then started giving orders to the marines. When he mentioned the children it reminded Nami of the kids she had tried to help. "Everyone," she called. "We have to split up and look for the children. Let's lead every last one of them to the escape route!" The men started to move out in agreement.

Zoro took the unconscious woman from Usopp and put her over his shoulder. He didn't notice a slight grunt coming from her. "Zoro!" Nami called out. "You can't go off by yourself!"

"What!?"

Before they could get very far the marines surrounded the Straw Hats. Zoro was barely paying them any attention. He was more listening to what Usopp had to say. "Luffy was beaten by Ceasar!?" he demanded. The woman still on his broad shoulder. He moved carefully so as not to jostle her or make her fall to the floor.

Usopp stood at Zoro's back. "Yeah," he admitted. "We were careless and got suffocated. He's gas. Do you know how hard it is to fight gas? He just sucks the oxygen right out of the air."

Zoro let out a growl of frustration. "And we got knocked out by the abominable snowmen," he said. "We'll never make it like this. What was the point of training for two years!?"

"Come on," Usopp tried to aleviate Zoro's concern. "We're all still alive-"

"This is serious!" Zoro snapped. "We can't afford to be careless from now on." Zoro lowered his swords, sheething one so he could hold his passenger more securely. "Oi! Luffy!" he called out. As he kept walking several of the marines charged at him. He simply sliced their swords apart and pushed through. He called for Luffy one more time.

Luffy moved closer to the rail when he heard his name. When Zoro saw that he was paying attention he continued, "Take things seriously! The New World will only continue to get tougher!" Luffy agreed and continued on. He started fighting in his normal, cheerful way. "Tch," Zoro let out. "I said 'be serious'." Usopp started laughing and pointing from behind him.

Zoro walked over to Brownbeard and placed his passenger on his back. "You watch after her while I deal with these marines," he ordered.

"Don't tell me what to do," Brownbeard snapped. Zoro looked at him with a glare. Brownbeard leaned back and started to sweat. "Although, I'd be more than happy to help a defenseless woman."

Merissa snorted from her hiding spot. "If she was awake you would be crying out in pain right about now," she muttered. She then started making her way deeper into the lab. She was now convinced that the Straw Hats would take care of her friend for the time being. She was more concerned about securing their way out of here. "We've stayed in this place for far too long. When she wakes Rae will most likely find and join me."

Nami, Usopp and Sanji also climbed onto Brownbeard's back. Usopp cheering on the three swordsmen that were clearing a path for them. Nami climbed onto Brownbeard's shoulder, but kept an eye on the still out of it woman. She wanted to keep an eye on her now that she was starting to show signs of waking.

The Straw Hats rushed past the marines after Captain Tashigi appeared and started giving them orders. Of course they heard that Ceasar was trying to trap them in the first tower. Robin joined the others on Brownbeard's back. She took note of the woman that was wrapped in a blanket. She then told the others Luffy had asked her to do something for him, so she left him to join them.

The entrance to tower B was growing smaller and smaller. Brownbeard warned his passengers to hold. Without waiting he jumped into the air. As he started to come down he slammed his tail onto the floor and gained an extra boost of both air and speed. Nami, Sanji and Usopp rolled off of him. Robin managed to stay on his back by growing hands and holding herself and the blanketed woman steady. The group of them looked back to see what was going on the way they had come.

The marines were still running as they tried to reach safety. Several of them still hadn't made it through. The captain was standing just on the other side of the gate, yelling words of encouragement to them. Several of the marines ran back into tower A. Sounds of Tashigi yelling to put her down could soon be heard. The Straw Hats watched as a group of marines were running to the door, carrying the captain over their heads. The men then gave a giant heave and threw Tashigi through the gate to safety. Some of the other Marines caught her before she landed on the floor. When she regained her focus she started struggling to go back and save the others. Tashigi refused to believe one of the marines when he told her it was too late. The marine at the door was looking out to see the men that carried her giving her a 'thumbs up', already frozen by the gas. "You guys did great!" he yelled. "Our captain is here, safe with us!" The doors then closed with a resounding boom.

The group then resumed running through the corridor. Every last one of the Straw Hats that was still in the corridor were now riding on Brownbeard, Kin'emon had joined them on his back as well without notice. The group started talking casually and taking off their coats. "I never expected him to sacrifice his own lab," Robin was saying.

"We're safe for now," Usopp pointed out. "But that doesn't mean we can slack off."

Brownbeard started slowing down and gasping for breath. "Hey," Zoro called to him. "Don't go slacking off!"

"When did you all get on my back?" Brownbeard asked. "I thought that it was getting heavy." He looked behind him to see the Straw Hats in various spots of relaxation on his back.

"We're really sorry for asking so much of you," Zoro apologized. "But please try to bear it. There's no other way."

"There's some profound reason for this?" Brownbeard asked.

"That's right," Zoro closed his eyes. He then opened them with a snap. "We're tired and don't want to run!"

"That's a terrible reason!" Brownbeard yelled. "Get off!"

"Running is a royal pain in the ass," Sanji let out a puff of smoke.

"Get the hell off of me!"

"Wearing coats is too hot in the lab," Zoro ignored him. He took off his coat and glanced down to the woman in a blanket. "Do you think we can take that off of her now?"

"What happened to her?" Robin asked.

"We found her frozen in the snow," Brook answered. "She was still breathing so we decided to bring her along with us."

"Don't make yourselves at home on other peoples backs!" Brownbeard tried yelling.

"I'm awfully hungry," Brook commented. "Brownbeard, would you happen to have any food back here?"

"I'm throwing you all off when we reach the Barracks!" Without warning Sanji jumped off of Brownbeard's back and disappeared. "Where do you suppose he went?" Brownbeard asked.

"I thought you wanted us off your back," Usopp teased. "Although, Sanji did fly into a rage and took off."

"Maybe he felt the same unknown presence that I did," Zoro offered.

"Forget I asked," Brownbeard stated. "NOW GET OFF!"

"Something's coming," Robin said as she looked up.

"That's the dragon from earlier," Kin'emon pointed out.

"No," Nami said slowly. "It looks different then from before."

"I knew the sedatives would wear off," Brownbeard stated. "We have to get out of here." He picked up a little speed as the dragon started breathing fire at them.

Merissa noticed some activity going on behind her and waited to see what would happen. Her eyes widened when Brownbeard went running past with people on his back in various poses. Some were even laying down. "It's like a Brownbeard Express," she noted. Her eyes sharpened and focused on the dragon. "Well that's new."

Robin sat next to Usopp with the unconscious woman's head in her lap. She was watching her closely just as Nami had. Certain signals in her facial features were showing she would wake and then they would have their answer to who she was. "That dragon is really bad news!" Usopp was freaking out.

Zoro lay on his back with his hands behind his head watching it. "He looks pretty ferocious, all right." He was smiling as if watching a show.

"I can't believe these people," Merissa said. She was struggling not to laugh at how laid back half of them seemed to be. "It's like a whole group of me and Reecheru. How has the world managed to survive?"

"Those flames look rather hot," Robin commented.

"This is no time to be acting calmly," Usopp snapped.

"That right!" Nami came down. "Do something Brook!"

"Eh!? Why me? I'm just as scared of the dragon as you are." His plea went ignored as Usopp and Nami pushed him towards the end of the tail and in the direct path of the dragon.

"Just do it," Nami snapped. "You're the oldest, right?"

"That's right," Brook agreed. "So you should respect your elders." Before Brook could finish his sentence Nami and Usopp high tailed it away from him. The dragon charged in, took a good sniff of Brook and then flew off to cause more trouble elsewhere.

As the group was discussing what to do about the dragon Kin'emon and Brook got into an argument about who would be the one to fight it. They were silenced by Nami's actions. "I'm pretending to be a samauri," she was telling Usopp.

"No," Usopp started to correct her. "That's a ninja."

Merissa slapped her hand to her forehead. "None of these people will ever make it as a ninja. Even our village Genin would eat them alive."

The dragon flew into one of the clouds that Nami had created. As soon as it touched the dark cloud it was electrocuted with lightning. As the dragon was falling Usopp shot a pod of the stinkiest flower in the world. The bloom smacked the dragon right in the face. As it tried to flee Robin grew hands all over the dragon, causing it to fall. Brook and Kin'emon jumped off of Brownbeard and started charging it, each claiming the killing blow.

The dragon spit fire at the two in a last ditch effort to save itself. "Follow me Sir Corpse," Kin'emon called. He then used his special technique and cut through the fire. The action caused Zoro to perk up and pay more attention. The two on the ground then continued the charge and attacked the dragon. It started falling, no longer able to continue the fight.

As they landed Brook faced Kin'emon. "Who are you calling a corpse!?" he sounded like he was offended. "Oh wait, I am a corpse. Yohohohohoho!" Usopp then started cheering for the two of them. The two quickly joined the others just as a strange voice filled the air.

"That can't be the little reindeer," Merissa said. She was watching a tall creature covered in fur with massive horns keeping children from passing him. It wasn't hurting the children at all, just pushing them away from the doorway. It was like it didn't want to cause even one of them a small bruise. Merissa looked the creature up and down closely, it was wearing the same clothes as the little reindeer.

Merissa watched as the children attacked the creature. It eventually shrank and became the reindeer she first saw. The children rushed past, eager to get to their 'candy'. The little guy was crying out to the children to stop, begging them not to eat the candy. Merissa was just about to jump down and help when the Straw Hats that were riding the Alligator man came.

Nami scooped Chopper up into her arms and continued to run with the others. "Chopper," she said as she ran. "What's happened?"

Chopper looked around at everyone. They all seemed to be in good health. That's when he noticed that Zoro was carrying a woman he had never seen. "What's going on with those kids?" Zoro asked.

The question diverted Chopper's attention for the moment. "I'm so glad you came to help me," he cried. "It's as I feared, Ceasar is turning them into giants to make soldiers. It's too much to handle on my own. At any rate, please help the children!

"There's been a girl that's been helping me," Chopper continued. "Her name is Mocha and she's still sane. She's guarding the candy in the Biscuit Room. She's in danger, please help her!"

As they entered a brightly painted room Robin used her ability to block the path to Mocha from the angry children. "Use this time to catch up to them," she said. The children attacked her hands and slipped past. They were gaining on Mocha.

Mocha tried to reason with the others, telling them the candy was bad. None of them were listening and tried to force the candy away from her. "It's no use Mocha," Chopper called. "You need to run!" Mocha tried to do as she was told, but a woman with wings for arms and bird legs blocked her path and snow filled the area. She started chastising Mocha for keeping the candy all to herself.

Zoro handed Robin the woman he was carrying and gave the newcomer a fierce look. "And who are you?" he demanded.

The woman laughed at his question. "I'm Monet," she answered. "And I'm a devil fruit user who ate the Yuki Yuki Fruit." At her statement the snow she created grew more intense. Even with the increased snow, the other children kept advancing towards Mocha.

Robin, quickly assessing the situation, turned to Brook and Usopp. "I'm going to stop the children," she said. "You two go and find a pair of Sea Prism Handcuffs."

"What do you need those for?" Brook asked.

"It was a request from Luffy," Robin answered.

Brook and Usopp looked at each other. "I don't really understand," Usopp said. "But alright."

"Leave it to us," Brook added.

"I'll come with you," Kin'emon said. "I still need to search for Momonosuke." The three of them then ran out of the room.

"You should have had them bring that woman with them," Zoro pointed out. He was looking at the woman that Robin was now supporting. Robin moved so one of her arms was around her waist and Robin's other hand kept the woman's arm across her shoulders. "She'll only get in the way here."

"I don't think that will be much of a problem," Robin stated. "She no longer suffers from the elements. In fact, I think she'll wake very soon."

"Tch," Zoro looked away and back to Monet. He put his hand on one of his swords hilts.

Mocha started running away from the kids, trying to reach the door. Chopper continued to yell for her to get away. Robin set the woman she was helping down. She then raised her hands into the pose needed to use her powers. She never saw Monet come from behind until she was already stabbed in the shoulder by some needle like weapon. Robin collapsed in the snow next to the other woman. Nami knelt next to her, still holding onto Chopper. "Are you alright Robin?" Nami asked.

Her attention was taken when Monet started coming in for another attack. Zoro got between them and blocked her with her swords. "Oh?" Monet looked confused and then started laughing. "You're the Pirate Hunter Zoro with the 120 million berri bounty."

"You guys go and stop the kids!" Zoro ordered. "She's a logia type. I'll take care of her." He then began to fight with the Snow Woman. As her attacks came in, Zoro would simply block them. Not feeling it worth much of his time to go on the offensive just yet.

"Are you okay Robin?" Nami asked.

"It's just a scratch," Robin dismissed. She looked off to the side. "I wonder though, how we're going to get her out of here. She shouldn't be in the cold so soon after recovering from exposure." All watched in stunned silence as the woman's hand began to twitch, especialy when a snowflake landed on it.

The feeling of cold reminded Reecheru that she shouldn't fall asleep. She began to open her eyes, bringing one of her hands up to feel her forehead. The first thing she noticed was a lack of sunglasses. "Where did my glasses go?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't think our friends found any near you?"

A calm, woman's voice drew Reecheru's attention over her shoulder. Two women, one with black hair and the other with orange were next to her. Both were grossly underdressed for the cold. The orange haired one was carrying a stuffed animal of some kind. "Are you okay?" the animal asked. Reecheru started blinking at it when it talked. "Nami, bring me closer to her. There's something wrong with her eyes." The orange woman, obviously Nami, moved the animal closer. "This is terrible," the animal started crying out. "Whatever happened to you out there has caused you to go blind!"

Reecheru's face went from confused to stoic. 'This is why I wear those glasses,' she thought.


	9. For the Children

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Eight: For the Children

Reecheru stared at the 'stuffed' animal blankly. "Thank you for pointing out my unnatural eye color," she said. "However, I assure you that it's only my eye color that's drawn your attention. I can see perfectly fine. It's merely a family trait. All members of the Hyuga clan have such color." Her gaze shifted to the black haired woman laying in the snow. "What about you?" she asked. "You look like you were hurt. Are you okay to move on your own?" Reecheru looked to the side where the sound of weapons clashing could be heard. The unspoken question was if she could get away from the battle safely.

"I'll be fine," Robin said. "The important thing right now is to save the children."

Reecheru's gaze shifted back to them. "Children?"

"That's right," Nami said in realization. "You've been out of it this whole time. We're kind of trapped in this lab right now. They've been performing illegal experiments on kids."

"It's all so horrible," Chopper cried. "The kids have been given drugs to get them addicted so that they'll always stay. I have a sedative to help them, but I can't give it to them with things the way they are right now. One of the kids I managed to help is trying to keep the others away from the drug that they think is candy. They're chasing her around the building and will hurt her if they don't get what they want."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Reecheru stood to her full height. "I can't turn my back on the innocent that need help." She started for the door and then turned back to them. "I haven't given my name yet. I'm Hyuga Reecheru, pleased to meet you."

"I'm Nami and this is Chopper," Nami gestured.

Robin stood with a hand still pressed to her shoulder. "So that's who you are," she whispered. "I had thought the clothing fit a description I had once heard. I suppose that the Uchiha is around here somewhere as well."

"And you are?" Reecheru's eyes narrowed and she tensed as if ready for battle.

"I'm Nico Robin."

Reecheru's muscles relaxed minutely as she smiled. "I've heard a lot about you," she said with a grin. "Can hardly wait to see you in action."

"The feeling is mutual," Robin smiled. "I've never seen an actual ninja in combat before."

"YOU'RE A NINJA!?" Chopper wailed.

"Yes," Reecheru said with a nod. "Although I wish you wouldn't announce it. Part of the whole ninja training is secrecy, you know?" Chopper blushed and looked to the side.

"How do you know her Robin?" Nami asked.

"I've heard stories of the Hyuga/Uchiha team during my time training," Robin admitted. "I can explain more later. Right now we should go and help the children." The group then started to head for the door.

"I'm assuming that one of those people is a friend of yours," Reecheru spoke.

"Zoro is the one with three swords," Robin confirmed. "He's already told us to go ahead without him."

The group started running after the fading voices of the children. "We have to hurry," Nami said. "We have to catch up to the children."

"I'm counting on you," Chopper cheered.

"The likely-hood of us leaving that easily is small." Reecheru felt a shift in the wind. She glanced behind to see the woman had disappeared. She started looking around, but without activating her eye technique it was next to impossible to see the woman.

"HEY YOU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT!?"

The shout drew the attention of the women. Nami turned to see Zoro running at her with his swords at his side. Nami stopped with a short scream and faced him. "Just wait a second," she cried. "Why are you coming over here?" She then thrust Chopper in front of her, displaying him like an offering.

"Wait! Nami, stop! You can't use me as a shield!" Chopper had tears in his eyes as Nami's grip was squishing his cheeks.

The snow swirling at her feet drew Nami's attention. She gasped and tried to move away. Chopper was moved to the side as Nami jumped. Her movement was increased slightly when Zoro got in front of her. Out of snow the wing woman appeared and nearly pierced Nami's skull with her weapons. The only thing that stopped her were Zoro's swords. Once her feet were on the ground, Nami sprinted away. "What a shame," Monet giggled.

"Why are you going for the weak ones?" Zoro asked calmly.

"It's strategic to go after the weaklings first," Monet stated. Her statement caused Nami to grunt and narrow her eyes.

As the two started fighting once again Nami called out. "Zoro," she yelled. "Get out of the way!" Nami spun her weapon and then thrust it towards Monet. "Heat Egg!" The end of her staff started melting through Monet's wing. After a moment Nami backed off. "So heat does work." She had a satisfied grin as Monet landed roughly. The group then started to run away again. Nami was looking back and taunting Monet. "Don't come over here anymore!" Chopper agreed with Nami and taunted back as well.

Reecheru stayed close to Robin. It was becoming clear that she was the more sane of the group she woke up to. "That was a bad idea," she muttered. "She should have just run when the swordsman gave her the chance."

Robin started giggling at the observation. "Where would the fun be in that?" she asked.

"It's not a matter of fun," Reecheru pointed out. "I'm all about taunting an enemy and getting them riled up. But we're supposed to be helping the children. She probably just caused us further delays." A wall of snow then blocked their. "I really hate it when I'm right about these things."

Nami let out a short scream as her legs were trapped by snow. Reecheru cursed under her breath, catching on to what the woman was doing. She made a few gestures with her hands and muttered the technique under her breath so none would hear. Since everyones attention was focused on Nami they never noticed the second Reecheru pop out of nowhere. The first lowered her hand to the side and the second started making motions over the cupped hand.

The snow crawled further up Nami's body, freezing her. Chopper called out for his friend in worry. He looked up when a shadow passed over him. Monet had turned white as the snow around them, growing longer and sharper teeth. Her mouth was open wide as if she were about to devour them. "She went after them again," Zoro growled.

Robin lifted her hands, getting ready to help. She hesitated when a popping sound came from behind. Before she could turn around to see the cause Reecheru ran past, one hand down to the side. Robin barely had time to register what was happening.

Reecheru leapt into the air and came down towards Monet. The snow woman glanced at her a moment before Reecheru's attack hit. "RESENGAN!" When the attack first touched Monet not much happened. Half a breath later her snow body was ripped apart from the inside out. Nami and Chopper were freed from their snow prison. Monet stared at Reecheru as the top half of her head fell away.

"That was scary!?" Chopper wailed.

"Thank you Reecheru," Nami called.

"No problem and it's easier to call me Rae," Rae called back. Her eyes never stopped looking for the next place Monet would appear. They focused on a spot high above near the center of the room.

"How troublesom," Monet let out a sigh. She was only partially formed when she started lecturing them all. "Those children are the master's precious guinea pigs. My mission is to protect Ceasar and his experiments. Who was it that turned Mocha against us?"

"What are you talking about?" Chopper demanded. "Those children asked us to save them."

Monet disappeared as a kunai flew at her. The direction it came from was Rae. She had a severe look of concentration on her face, from the side it looked like the veins near her temple were about to explode. When Monet reappeared next to Rae she spun into action. Her feet moving in an intricate pattern, Rae seemed to dance around Monet with her hands barely touching the snow woman in certain places. Once she was finished Rae jumped away from her with a smirk on her face.

Monet's eyes blinked in confusion when the two came face to face. None could see what it was that startled her so, but soon the confusion melted away to anger. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU GUYS!" Zoro's yell was followed the sound of swords slicing. The snow that was blocking their path was cut through. "Get going," he looked to them all. Nami and Robin agreed, gesturing for Rae to follow.

As she was starting to pass through the exit Rae turned back to look at Monet. "I merely leveled the playing field for a time," Rae answered her earlier question. "I hit pressure points in your body to block the flow of 'energy', so to speak. You'll be unable to use your devil fruit powers for a few minutes. Plenty of time for us to get away from you." She then disappeared down the hall, following the others.

As Zoro blocked Monet's path to give chase he noticed something. She seemed to be stalling for time by talking about the children and their supposed importance to her. Zoro decided to play along. If what the newcomer had said was true then Monet would be back to full strength soon. He wanted to see how long that time would be. The wait lasted about two minutes. Monet was instantly attacking him with her 'skin sword' the moment she felt able to use her powers again.

Merissa was once again making her way through the labs. Once she realized that the little reindeer was safe she moved on. She had to find tower R and the escape route. Once that was over she needed to secure a way out for herself and Reecheru. From that point on it was just a matter of waiting it out. Reecheru would no doubt arrive in full force with everyone else.

"I can barely hear the children now," Nami moaned. The group stood at an intersection of halls. "I can't tell which direction it's coming from."

"We'll have to split up," Robin pointed out. "Each of us takes a different direction."

"Waste of time," Rae disagreed. "We can't afford to split up. Especially if Chopper is the only one that has the sedatives to help the kids."

"We can't just sit here!" Nami snapped.

"We're not going to," Rae agreed. She made a few gestures with her hands. "We'll keep heading straight. If we're heading in the wrong direction then I'll know fairly quickly and we can adjust to intercept the kids."

"How do you plan to accomplish that?" Chopper asked.

Rae didn't answer him, instead she continued with her hand motions. She stopped suddenly and shouted, "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Smoke engulfed the area and disappeared almost as quickly as it came. There were now five Rae's standing around the intersection. Two suddenly split off in one direction and two more the opposite way. "Let's get a move on," the remaining Rae said. She started running in the direction they were heading in the first place.

"What was that?" Chopper asked.

"Did you eat some sort of devil fruit?" Nami also questioned.

"I had heard stories," Robin giggled. "But I didn't fully believe them."

"Let's focus here people!" Rae ran ahead. She didn't have time to explain to them the intricacies of ninjutsu just now.

The group soon came into an open area. They were on the second floor walkway. Below them, Mocha was being cornered by the children. "Oh no!" Chopper cried out.

Rae put up a hand to her face and called, "Release." To the others it didn't seem like anything had happened. She then threw two three-pronged kunai. One in between Mocha and the children and the other at her own feet. She was gone from the others in an instant and in front of the children the next. She took the candy from Mocha and darted between the legs of the giant children. She jumped over the shorter kids and made her way to where Chopper and the others were.

The kids tried to catch her and stop her from getting away. Rae proved to be too fast for them though. "Here they come Chopper!" Rae called. "I hope that you're ready." Rae threw the candy, which was then caught by Robin. When the kids were close enough to Chopper Rae spun around and leapt at them. She pushed two fingers onto the skin of each childs neck. Some slowly slumped to the floor. "Hurry up Chopper," Rae ordered. "That pressure point will only temporarily paralyze them. With the experiments that were done I don't know how long it will last." Nami and Chopper rushed to each fallen child. Robin was already running from the room and the children that weren't affected by the pressure points as Nami reached the first of the children. Chopper quickly injected them with the sedative.

"Some of the kids are still standing!" A male voice rang out suddenly. "GO!" A group of men came runnig from around the corner. They started jumping on the taller children that hadn't gone down when Rae hit their pressure points. "No violence," Sanji ordered from the center of the group. "Alright guys!?" The other men yelled out their agreement. "Hold them down," Sanji continued barking orders.

"Sanji?" Nami asked in astonishment.

Robin had turned back from the commotion and joined Nami. "The marines?" she added to Nami's question.

"Aniki!" one marine called out.

Nami and Robin looked at each other. "'Aniki'?" they asked in unison.

"Does kicking them in the balls count as violence?" the marine had continued.

Sanji got down from his spot on the tallest boy. He looked up and thought seriously on the question. "Hmmm, it's a little over the line," he answered.

The marine saluted and said, "Rodger that!"

"Medical team!" Sanji resumed giving orders. "Up front!" A group of men raised their hands and stepped forward. "Chopper! Let these guys help you." Sanji turned to face the crew's doctor. His thumb pointed behind him to the medical marines. "They can handle an injection or two at least!"

Chopper agreed once he was knocked out of his stunned silence. The men grabbed one or two syringes each and started going around to the children that hadn't been helped yet. "I'm counting on you guys," Chopper cheered.

Mocha hesitantly made her way to them. She prayed that the sedative worked on them like it did for her. The kids were up on their knees and blinking. They all had bewildered expressions on their faces. The last thing they remembered was hiding out in that ruined building in the mountains.

Rae calmly walked up to Robin. The two of them backed away from the kids and disappeared down the hall. "We should find an incinerator or something," Rae commented.

"I agree," Robin nodded. "We wouldn't want this to fall into the wrong hands. If it's not destroyed that could be a big problem."

"I know just the chick for the job," Rae grinned. She pulled Robin to a stop and pulled out an empty scroll. She bit into her index finger and started writing on it with her own blood.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked.

"This is a sealing scroll," Rae answered. "I'm making it so that I'm the only one that can use it." She took the 'candy' from Robin and put it on the floor on top of the scroll. A few hand gestures and a puff of smoke later it was gone. "That will work for now." Rae rolled up the scroll and put it in her pocket. "I won't feel fully satisfied until we actually destroy the blasted drug. This will keep the kids from seeing it and wondering about it. 'Out of sight, out of mind' as they say."

"So how do you plan to destroy it?" Robin asked. The two of them started walking back towards the others.

"Merissa has a fire technique," Rae answered. "She can make it so hot that rocks have melted under the fire. If we can't find an incinerator before we find her then it's our best option." Rae changed the subject as they got closer to the kids. "In any case, I'm glad we got to Mocha before anything else could happen."

The two stopped and took in the scene. Mocha was going around to the other children exclaiming how happy she was. Nami and Chopper were off to the side, smiling. Sanji and the marines were patting themselves on the back. "Things could have gone a lot worse," Robin agreed. She watched as Rae split off and started picking up the two kunai she had thrown earlier. "What are those exactly?" she asked.

"It's a special form of jutsu," Rae explained. "An ancestor of mine developed the technique and used it to win a war many generations ago. The technique was lost for a time with his death. Another ancestor, the first's grandson in fact, rediscovered it. This paper tied to the kunai is a type of seal. I throw the kunai where I want to be and one to my feet. I'm then able to transport from one seal to the next. The seals have to be firmly planted somewhere in order for it to work. For example, if I left a seal on an island somewhere along the grand line I could go to it any time I wanted so long as I was standing at another seal and in range. However, if someone were to come along and move the seal it would be broken. Whether they put it back or not, if I'm not the one that put it there then it won't work. I have to channel my energy into it each time to set a seal in a location."

"You did it so quickly," Robin noted. "I hardly had time to see you do anything at all."

"That comes with practice," Rae smiled. "I've been training ever since I could walk. It's a small matter to multitask like that."

Their conversation was broken by more shouting. "MY SLEEPING BEAUTY! YOU'RE AWAKE!" The two looked to see Sanji rushing up to them. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to help you as you opened your eyes." He stopped and stared at her for a second. He then fell to his hands and knees, hitting his head on the floor. "Why couldn't I have been the first to see such unique eyes!?"

"Don't mind him Rae," Nami smiled. "You'll get used to it."

Sanji was up and in front of Rae in a flash. "Your name is Rae?" Hearts sprouted in his eyes and the smoke from his cigarette started making heart shapes as well. "It's such a beautiful name."

"It's actually a nickname," Rae corrected. "My name is Hyuga Reecheru."

"You're only goading him on," Nami warned.

"What are you talking about?" Rae asked. Her eyes widened when Sanji leaned in closer.

"Both your full name and nickname are beautiful," he whispered.

Rae's eyebrow twitched when he held both her hands in his own. "As much as I appreciate the flattery," she forced a smile. Her left hand moved in a flash and grabbed his right wrist. With a slight bit of pressure Sanji let go and fell to his knees. "I'm still going to have to ask you to respect my personal bubble."

"Got it," Sanji groaned.

"Aniki was brought down by a woman?" one of the marines asked. They all were staring at the scene in wonder. Hearts suddenly developed in their eyes and they gave Rae the 'thumb up'. "There's nothing better than a strong woman!" Rae looked to Nami and Robin. Her facial expression was pleading, as if asking them for their help. The both of them just shrugged and shook their heads.

"We should get going," Chopper called. "Now that all the children are getting on their feet we need to move."

"That's right!" Sanji leapt to his feet once Rae let him go. It was almost as if she hadn't hurt his pride at all. "That gas is leaking into this tower."

"Oh no," Nami gasped in horror. Her eyes were wide and trembling.

"Ano," Rae looked over at Robin at this point. "I think I missed something while I was out of it."

"Fear not Rae-chan," Sanji said. "I'll make sure that you get out of here safely."

"As much as I appreciate the thought," Rae started. "I don't generally need anyone's help to get out of trouble, or into it for that matter. I'd just like to know what kind of gas you're all talking about it."

"You were unconscious when it all started," Nami started. "A poison cloud has covered the entirety of the island except for one small area. We have to get to the secret exit and tunnel in Tower R if we want to escape the gas."

"What does it do exactly?" Rae asked. "If we know that much then there might be a chance to counteract it. Plus I question that there's a safe spot on the island. If it's a gas we're dealing with then it's thinner than water. It will go anywhere it wants."

"I doubt we can counteract it," Chopper spoke up. "It covers it's victims in some type of ash, making it impossible for them to move. I'm not sure on what other specifics it does, but I'm sure that even if we had something to counter it there would be terrible side effects." His face suddenly turned blue. "If it's blocking our path then we're doomed!"

"Then I'm in your debt," Rae bowed to a now pale Nami. "You saved me from a terrible fate even though you didn't have to. Although, I'm sorry that I had to be the bearer of bad news like that."

"You're welcome," Nami said nervously. "But you should know that it wasn't my group that originally found and rescued you." Nami hesitantly raised her finger and pointed at a now beaming Sanji. "It was Sanji, Zoro, Brook and a samauri named Kin'emon that brought you to the safety of the lab."

Rae turned her attention to Sanji. She closed her eyes and inhaled. Despite how annoying she thought he was, the fact he played a part in her rescue could not be ignored. Rae bowed at the waist to him. "Then I must thank you Sanji," Rae said. "If it wasn't for you then I would not be here."

Sanji calmly blew the smoke out from his lungs, acting cool. "It wasn't any trouble," he began. "To save a lady as beautiful as yourself was an honor."

The marines in the area started cheering. "Aniki is soo cool!" "I bet that Sleeping Beauty will swoon for him at any moment!" "I wonder if I'll get the chance to save a beautiful woman and have her fall for me too!"

"We need to move," Robin interrupted. She was pointing to the other side of the open area they were in. All eyes turned to see a purple cloud slowly seeping its way towards them.

Rae picked up one of the smaller girls and started running. Nami and Robin followed her example. Chopper and the taller children followed after the women while Sanji and the marines took up the rear. "You guys," Sanji started ordering again. "Keep on eye on those kids!"

As the group was running they stopped suddenly in surprise. A flash of light blinded them for a mere second. The next instant the ceiling lifted and all were able to see outside the building. The ceiling came back down and landed with a loud thud. Debris started falling from the roof, causing the children to duck down and cover their heads. Robin pointed out that the poison was starting to leak in from the new cracks.

"Everyone, we have to get moving." Nami tried her best to motivate the kids into running again.

"But I'm scared," one of the girls cried.

"This is no time to be freaking out you damn kids!" Sanji yelled. "Get on your feet and start running out of here!"

"Try to hang in there," Nami encouraged.

The sound of running footsteps drew everyones attention. Zoro emerged from a darkened hall carrying Tashigi on his shoulder. The marines started cheering that their 'beloved' captain was fine. One pointed out that he thought they had stayed behind and wondered how they were now coming from the direction they had wanted to go.

"The troops are in front of us?" Tashigi was flabbergasted. "See? I told you we were going the wrong way. Please put me down, this is embarrassing!"

"You're such a pain," Zoro groused. "Just stay still."

"HEY YOU!" Sanji's yell startled Rae out of her stare. She looked over to him and blinked at the look of pure hatred he was directing at the swordsman. "Who the hell gave you permission to carry Tashigi-chan!?" He bent over and curled his fingers like a wild beast. He then started to growl in a threatening manner.

Nami ignored Sanji and pointed past Zoro. "Zoro, you're going the wrong way!" she yelled.

Zoro blinked in surprise and started sliding to a halt. His motion ended just before slamming into a still growling Sanji. Tashigi was yelling out in fright, her arms extended in front of her in case she fell. Zoro then turned around and started running the way he had come from, ignoring Sanji.

Rae shook her head clear, as if to erase the strange turn of events from her mind. She then started following after the swordsman. "This way children," she urged. She was still carrying the girl knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep up with everyone else. "We need to keep moving." The kids had found the scene so funny that they were no longer scared and easily started running again.

As the group kept running they heard a voice speak around them. "Nami, you're almost to building R."

"Thanks Usopp," Nami called out. She turned back to look at the children. "We're almost safe everyone. Just a little further to go." She and the older and taller children started moving ahead of the others.

With the other group one of normal sized children started lagging behind. Rae stopped and offered to let him ride on her back. The boy wondered where the girl she was carrying went, but he gratefully climbed up. The two started running and caught up with the front. The boy's eyes widened when he saw Rae running ahead of him with the girl still in her arms. "WHAT!?" he cried out.

That drew the attention of everyone else. The marines started whispering amongst themselves about maybe they were twins. Sanji rejoiced at the prospect of there being two 'Sleeping Beauties'. Zoro's eye widened and Tashigi stared in blatant shock. Most were sure that there had only been one Rae with them.

"That reminds me," Robin gasped out. "How was it possible for there to be five of you in one place?" she asked.

"There were how many beauties!?" Sanji cried.

The Rae that was carrying the girl let out a grin. "That's a secret," she teased. "Well, until we're out of danger at least."

"But it is a really good story," the other Rae grinned as well.

The group was soon running through a corridor. On the other side it opened up to a large room that looked like it had seen better days. Nami raised her hand and started waving. "Luffy!" she called out.

A man in a red shirt that stood in the center turned to look at her. "Oh," he turned around fully and smiled. "Nami!"

"I'm so happy you got here before us," Nami called. Then she noticed that Brownbeard was passed out on the ground. "What happened to Brownie? Is he okay?"

"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "He's fine. Oh wait, maybe he's not."

A pink dragon took in the sight of who was following Nami. "Oh," he called. "It's all of the children!"

Luffy's smile split across his face. "See? It's like I told you," he said. He started laughing happily that his crew was starting to come back together.

A voice called out from one of the other corridors. "Straw Hatter!" the voice was accompanied by the sound of turning wheels.

"Huh?" Luffy turned to the voice. When he recognized who it was he raised his hand in greeting. "Tra! Smokey! It's good to see you guys."

"It's Trafalgar Law," a marine pointed out. He then gasped and got excited. "And Smoke is with him!" The rest of the marines called out greetings and happily relaxed at his sudden arrival.

"Isn't this a happy reunion?" A woman fell down from the ceiling right in the middle of the gathering crowd. "It's about time you showed up." She was looking directly at the Rae with the boy on her back.

The other Rae smirked and set the girl down. Going behind the back of the new arrival she waited. The boy was set down and the Rae that was carrying him vanished in a puff of smoke. "Oh crap!" the new arrival cried. "OW!" She knelt down and held the back of her head.

"Just a silent observer today?" Rae asked menacingly. "You could have helped us with the kids."

"You looked like you had everything under control."

"I could report your negligence to Shikaru-sama," Rae charged.

"I could report your recklessness," Merissa countered.

The two of them were staring each other down. They both held their hands out at the same time. Two fingers were extended while the other three were curled. The two women crossed their fingers between the two of them. "Truce," they both said.

"That seemed anti-climatic," Nami commented.

"I hear it's common for the two of them. I take it that this is your partner?" Robin asked.

"Who the hell lied to you?" Merissa demanded.

"Partner in crime," Rae corrected.

"Oh, well that's okay then."

"We made it!" Brook's voice reached them. The skeleton rushed into the room. He was carrying a calcified Kin'emon. As soon as he passed through the gate it shut behind him and cut the gas off from the building.

"What happened Brook!?" Luffy asked.

The pink dragon started to scream. "That's my dad!" He rushed over and started fussing and sniveling over the body frozen in a running pose.

Brook told the story of how they heard Kin'emon's son had been turned into a dragon. Fearing the worst, Kin'emon started rushing back to where they had beaten the green dragon earlier. Not paying heed to the dangers of the gas, he ran right into it. Brook got him out and started running to where he was supposed to meet the others.

"We don't have time for this," Law announced. He pointed to the large tram he and Smoker had brought with them. "Everyone get on. We have to hurry and catch up to Ceasar before he escapes."

The people started climbing in, Nami insisting that the children get on first. Usopp and the former subordinates of Ceasar Clown joined them a few moments later. Rae and Merissa waited to board last.

"There's no more room in the cars," Robin pointed out.

"That will be no problem," Rae smiled. She took out two kunai and thrust them into the rail of the car. "I can hold onto these as we move." Merissa followed her actions and also had a set of kunai.

"There's a high chance you'll still fall off," Law informed. "We'll be traveling at high speeds."

Rae raised her hand, showing her palm to everyone. It was glowing a strange pink color. "Not if we use Chakra," she answered. "We'll be able to hold onto the kunai no matter what the speed. It's just a matter of the kunai staying in the siding. As long as we stay low there shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Tch," Law turned away from them. "Do as you like. Don't say that I didn't warn you." The cars then started moving through the passage. It was slow at first, but it quickly picked up speed. Most of the children hunkered down, unable to tolerate the force of the wind against their faces. Nami, Brook, Usopp and Chopper were scared by the speed they were going. Robin and Zoro looked indifferent while Sanji had a slight smile. Luffy was laughing and enjoying himself as usual.


	10. Uncanny

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Nine: Uncanny

Reecheru and Merissa both let out a sigh. The tram wasn't going nearly as fast as Law had claimed. "We didn't have to reveal one of our techniques," Merissa lamented. "That jerk is going to pay for this."

Reecheru didn't bother responding. She pulled herself up and stood on the rail. Now that they were on their way it was noticed that the tunnel was collapsing all around them. Merissa soon joined her friend as they watched the proceedings.

A large slap of the ceiling fell and blocked their path. Reecheru moved to go do something about it, but Merissa stopped her. They watched as the swordsman stood in the front and told them to keep going. The marines started to panic as they were afraid that they were going to run into the rock at full speed. At the last second Zoro cut through said rock. Both pieces fell to either side and allowed the cars through.

Reecheru and Merissa stared in wonder at it. They've seen similar techniques before in the village, but none of them had been by someone without ninja training before. "Now that was hot," Reecheru whispered. Merissa glanced at her with a smirk. Reecheru noticed the look and started glaring at her. Merissa just turned away from her still smirking.

As the marines were cheering for Zoro he chastised them. He was staring behind them and said it was too early to celebrate. All eyes turned to see that the poison gas had made it into the passageway behind them. Law announced it was likely at the exit as well. He then asked if there was anyone that could make wind. The marines yelled about how it wasn't that easy.

Nami stopped the marines protests by raising her hand and saying she could in a cute manner. "How easy!?" the marines shouted in surprise. Nami got in front and stood on the rail of the first car. She glanced back at the children she had promised to protect and bring home. It was her responsibility to make sure that they got there.

It wasn't long before they came to the end of the passage. As Law had predicted it was full of poisonous gas. Nami took out one of the parts of her staff. She pointed it to the entrance and called out her attack, "Wind Sword!" A gust of wind came from the staff and started blowing the gas away. It didn't look like it was going to clear enough of it out of the way at first. The closer they got the better it worked. When the cars were close enough the gas was blown completely out of their way.

Reecheru and Merissa jumped off of the tram car as soon as they noticed the area was free and clear of gas. "Our boat isn't anywhere near here," Reecheru cursed. The two of them searched around for another boat to use.

"We have two choices," Merissa pointed out. "Try our hand at getting the big ass tanker to move with just the two of us or take the ship with the stupid happy face."

"Neither are an option actually," Reecheru denied. "Judging by the Jolly Rodger, the happy face belongs to the Straw Hat crew. They saved my life and I'm not about to repay them by leaving them stranded. The tanker is out of the question because how else will they transport the kids? Those kids are too many and too big to fit on the smaller ship if we took the tanker."

"I don't see another ship though," Merissa argued. "Our boat is most likely somewhere inside all that gas."

"You could always go and get it," Rae teased. Merissa looked at her with a deadpanned expression showing she wasn't amused.

"The two of you could come with us," Robin offered. Both jumped at how the woman had managed to sneak up on them. She gave a pleasant smile and a small laugh. While the three conversed Nami and Usopp attacked two people fleeing with Ceasar Clown. Of course they were successful and brought the three back to shore.

Luffy was talking with Brownbeard when Robin brought the two ninjas to him. "Captain," she got his attention. "These two have something that they would like to ask you." Luffy turned to face them fully with an open expression.

"Captain Luffy," Rae gave a short bow. "Even though I'm already indebted to your crew I was hoping to ask a favor. Would it be possible to come with you until you reach the next town? Our boat is surrounded by that poisonous gas and we have no way to retrieve it at this time."

Luffy stared and blinked at them for a minute. He then focused his attention on Merissa. She gave a short bow as well. "Please," Merissa added for effect.

Luffy grinned and started laughing. "Of course you can come," he cheered. "It's more fun with more people. You don't have to be so stiff about it!"

Both women let out sighs of relief. They stood up straight with a 'thankyou'. "We'll go and help the crew," Rae offered.

"Not a chance!" Sanji yelled. The two looked over where he was. He was too far away to have been able to hear them, or so they thought. One of his ears was twitching. He jumped over the wall of the stove he was making and approached them. "We could never ask a pair of beautiful ladies such as yourselves to do manual labor. It would be against our honor code as men."

Zoro chose that moment to walk by. Loud enough for Sanji to hear he said, "Stupid Love Cook."

Sanji snapped around and glared in his direction. "That reminds me Morimo!" he yelled. "You still haven't been punished for manhandling Tashigi-chan!"

Zoro stopped and looked back at him. "Huh?" He instantly had his swords out as he blocked an attack from Sanji's feet.

Luffy started laughing at the two while Robin simply smiled. Rae and Merissa stared at them in wonder. "I have a bad feeling about this," Rae said. "Things could probably get really weird really fast."

"Look on the bright side," Merissa pointed out. She started talking when she thought that no one could hear her besides Rae. "We'll be traveling for awhile with the guy that you think is hot."

Sanji leapt away and started swooning. "Do you really think that I'm hot Beauty-chan?"

Both women looked at him in shock. Shaking her head, Merissa put her arm around Rae's shoulders and started leading her away. "Okay I'll admit it," she said. "It's definately going to get weird."

"Sanji-kun!" Nami's voice called from the tanker. "How's the food coming?" Just like that Sanji was no longer by Rae's side. He was hurriedly trying to finish his stove. A bit of chaos later, which included Chopper claiming there was a murderer to Brook smashing Kin'emon and his subsequent revival, and the food was finished. Despite wanting to serve the ladies first, Sanji allowed Momonosuke and Kin'emon the first serving considering they haven't eaten anything in a few days.

It took Kin'emon eating first for Momonosuke to accept what Sanji offered. He had started crying from all the emotions he felt. He was so overwhelmed that he didn't know how to handle it. Luffy had distracted him and made him laugh by putting chopsicks up his nose.

"I'm not eating from their chopsticks," Merissa noted. She looked over to another table to see Usopp doing the same thing. "Ever."

"Ditto," Rae nodded her head.

The two were brought out of their musings by Sanji offering them each a bowl of the soup he made. With a charming smile and a bow he held them out. "For you fair maidens," he flattered.

They each accepted the bowl offered and gave him their thanks. After a few careful sips, Rae was eating her food with gusto. She gave a satisfied sigh when she was finished. "Now that was some soup," she said. "I feel like I could run a marathon five times around Konoha." She glanced and Merissa and smirked at her. She hadn't touched her food. "You know, you're going to hurt his feelings if you don't at least try it."

"But it's soup," Merissa complained.

"It's food."

"The texture is wrong."

"Whah whah whah, that's all I'm hearing from you."

"You know I don't eat soup," Merissa snapped.

"LIES!" Rae challenged.

"Name one soup you've seen me eat."

"Your mom's cheese soup."

"That doesn't count, name one I didn't grow up with."

"Egg drop soup."

"That's cheating."

"It is not!"

"Then name another to prove it!"

"My baked potato soup!"

"I hate you."

"For Hokage's sake Merissa," Rae rolled her eyes. "Just eat the damn soup and get it over with."

"You can't make me." Rae's face turned to stone. The look made Merissa a little nervous. "Um, you know I didn't mean that, right?" Merissa started to lean away from Rae.

Rae silently and carefully took the bowl out of Merissa's hand. Merissa sighed, thinking that Rae was just going to see about getting her something else. A sudden pain in her foot had her head snapping up and letting out a cry of pain. The cry was smothered when Rae shoved the contents of the bowl down Merissa's throat, her foot still grinding down on the top of Merissa's. Letting up on the pressure Rae held Merissa's mouth shut until she swallowed. Rae had a satisfied smirk as she walked away with both empty bowls.

"Are you trying to kill me!?" Merissa snapped.

"If I was you wouldn't have to ask that," Rae replied.

Robin and Nami had watched the whole affair from the railing of the tanker. Robin started giggling when Merissa gave chase. "Like a certain swordsman and cook that we know," she commented.

"It's almost uncanny," Nami let out a shiver. "I would hate to think what would happen if the four teamed up or something."

"We shouldn't worry too much about Merissa," Robin said. "She doesn't seem like the type to fall for Mr. Cook's advances. Rae-chan on the other hand. I don't think she would disagree to Zoro showing an interest."

"That's good to hear," Nami let out a sigh. "No worries about Merissa.. and Zoro is too serious for a relationship." Robin started giggling and walked away. "What was that for Robin? Hey Robin, what are you hiding from me!?"


	11. Chakra

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Ten: Chakra

After Nami and Chopper were able to bid the children a farewell Luffy rushed everyone onto the Sunny. He was eager to get going on the next adventure. Law had no complaints about leaving the island so soon. He was certain that more enemies would be coming in an attempt to reclaim Ceasar. The sooner they were away from the area the happier he would be.

Merissa stood at the railing of the Sunny. She was facing the direction that she and Reecheru had left their boat. Tears were running down her cheeks that Reecheru noticed out of the corner of her eye. "What are you crying over?" she asked.

"I left some of my equipment on the boat," Merissa sniffled.

Rae turned to fully face her, eyes wide. "Don't tell you me you left the stuff the boss man entrusted to us," she said in horror.

"I still have that on me," Merissa dismissed. She held up a sealing scroll to Rae as proof that she had it. "I left my wakizashi, about a hundred kunai and several of my fire seals back there."

Rae let out a sigh of relief. "Well if that's all," she shrugged her shoulders. "Then there's no real loss."

"What are you talking about 'no real loss'!?" Merissa demanded. "I'll have you know that I spent a lot of money and time on those things!"

"That's your own fault," Rae said. "You should have packed it all in the sealing scrolls so that you wouldn't leave them. Besides, if they mean that much to you then you can always just go back and get them." Rae had a teasing glint in her eye.

"I rather like being alive," Merissa responded. "I suppose that I have no other real choice except to accept my losses." She then stared at Rae's face. "Speaking of losses, what happened to your sunglasses?"

"I guess that they got lost when I was caught up in an avalanche," Rae shrugged.

"You were in an avalanche?" Merissa had a small smile now. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all."

"I was concentrating on getting out of the snow and living," Rae rolled her eyes. "I didn't much pay attention to replaceable objects. Which reminds me, I still have to thank Zoro, Brook and Kin'emon for carrying me to the lab." Rae started looking around on the deck of the Sunny. The crew was gathering towards the mast head, looking to Luffy who was standing at the top of the stairs. "Something big seems to be going on over there." The two started over to join the crew.

When they joined the others Luffy took a deep inhale. "LET'S SET SAIL!" As he yelled, Luffy threw both fists in the air. The members of the Straw Hats either smirked, smiled, grinned or laughed depending on which one you were paying attention to. Law looked indifferent to the apparent tradition. Kin'emon and Momonosuke were watching everything with a sense of wonder. Ceasar was out cold in the grass. Between getting beat by Luffy, getting electrocuted by Nami, nearly drowned by Usopp and tortured for information from G-5 the mad scientist had a pretty rough day.

The members of the crew went about their various duties to begin the next voyage. Rae walked up to Nami as she was discussing the course with Law. "If there's anything we can do to help then let us know," she offered.

"Speak for yourself!" Merissa snapped.

"Are you telling me that you'd just lounge around and do nothing to help out the people who are saving our hides?"

"I never said that," Merissa corrected. "I'm just saying that when it comes to offering to do manual labor of some kind that a person should only offer their own skills and not the skills of others."

Rae blinked at Merissa for a moment then turned back to Nami. "Anything WE can do to help?"

"You're not listening to me!" Merissa's teeth grew sharp as she snapped at Rae.

Robin was off to the side, giggling. Zoro and Usopp were standing close to her. "To think that these two are the best duo team the Revolutionists have," she commented. Both Zoro and Usopp stared at her in wonder. "One has to think if they ever put aside their bickering or if they fight like that on jobs as well."

"You're saying they're in the Revolutionary Army?" Usopp asked.

"They're not really," Robin shook her head. "I guess you could more call it that they're on loan from their home village. Their village wants to remain outside of the grasp of the World Government. They feel the best way to do that is to not only gather information they are sorely lacking, but to also help the one most opposed to it."

"How do you know all this?" Zoro asked.

"It's only a secret from the World Government," Robin winked. "All the higher ranked Revolutionists know about them. They were brought in by the Chief of Staff. He had spent a few years on their island, learning their techniques. While he was there he was assigned to a three person team to carry out missions. You've already met two-thirds of that team when you met those two."

"Is that a big deal?" Usopp asked.

"The Chief of Staff is the second strongest fighter in the Army," Robin informed. "He's second only to Dragon. These two, while not technically part of the army, could be of equal strength to him if he was assigned to their team. So I suppose you could say that 'yes' it is a big deal."

"We haven't seen them do anything," Zoro pointed out.

"That's not true," Chopper came up to join them. "I've been meaning to ask Rae something I saw back in the lab."

"You mean how she instantly increased our numbers?" Robin asked. Chopper nodded his head silently. "I wanted to ask about that as well. There just didn't seem to be time while we were running for our lives. With the Sunny already out of sight of the island we have time now." The group of four then approached the two women that seemed to be arguing over nothing.

"Can I ask you something Rae?" Chopper came up.

Rae looked to the side and gave Chopper a sly look. "You just did," she teased. Chopper blushed and looked down. Deciding to take it easy on him Rae faced them. "What did you need?"

Chopper put his front hooves together. He seemed to be making the same motion as a human would if they were wringing their hands together in nervousness. "Back when we were running after the kids," he reminded. "We came to that intersection and you wouldn't let us split up. Instead, you suddenly made another four of yourself and they split off in different directions."

"That's what you want to know," Rae said in understanding.

"I wanted to know what the name of the fruit you ate is called," Chopper added. "I was thinking it was something like the 'multi-multi fruit' or something."

"What would you say if I told you I've never eaten a devil fruit in my life?" Rae smiled down at the doctor.

"How is that possible?" Robin asked.

"It's a technique in the village," Merissa put in. "Most people can only disguise themselves as someone or something else. Rae's family had the fortune of one of her ancestors reading a forbidden scroll. It told the reader how to use their chakra to create copies, or clones of themselves."

"It's called 'Shadow Clone Jutsu'," Rae continued. "I can make as many clones as I want or as many as my chakra reserve allows."

"What is Chakra?" Zoro asked.

"Everything has a flow of energy," Merissa explained. "So, just as there are different types of people and living creatures there are different types of energy. When you use Haki you use one form of energy. Devil Fruit users have a different energy source then normal. Different fruit, different energy and the way it's used. Everyone has chakra, though some use it more than others."

"I remember something about that," Robin spoke up. "Just before riding the tram through the passage you both showed us your hands. You called the glow 'chakra' then and said it would help you hold on."

Rae started walking towards the main mast. "I suppose a little demonstration wouldn't hurt," she said. When she got to the mast she surprised the four Straw Hats by not stopping. Instead she put one foot on the mast and then the next. To their shock she started walking up the mast. When she reached the lookout room she walked upside down along the bottom of it.

Rae waved to the gawking people and then made her way back down. Once she was back on the deck she blinked in surprise. Luffy was right in front of her face with stars in his eyes. "How did you do that?" he asked. Rae and Merissa sighed and began the explanation again. This time, however, all the people on the ship were gathered around to hear it. All except the still unconscious Ceasar Clown.

Once they were finished Rae turned to Merissa. "I was hoping to ask you for a favor," she said. Rae produced a scroll from her pocket.

"What do you have in there?" Merissa asked. Robin being the only other one to know what it was started giggling when Rae shocked everyone by having a large candy pop onto the deck.

"This is the drug that Ceasar was using on the kids," Rae informed. "I didn't have time to look for an incinerator at the lab. I was hoping that you could help me by incinerating it yourself."

"You just can't do anything without me," Merissa chastised.

"So you're saying you'll help me kick your own ass?"

"Throw that thing in the air and I'll take care of it." Merissa ignored the threat, knowing better that to tease Rae when she got that snippy. She waited for the drug to reach the climax of the throw. "Katon! Fireball Jutsu!" She made some hand signs then held the tips of her thumb and index finger an inch away from her mouth. She forcefully blew air out of her lungs. As the air passed her fingers it turned into giant flames. The flames surrounded the drug and incinerated them as Rae had asked.

Merissa turned around to see several members of the crew staring at her with stars in their eyes. Rae walked past her with a smirk. "Your turn," she taunted as she left Merissa to fend for herself.


	12. Friendly Diversions

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Eleven: Friendly Diversions

It wasn't long after all of the distractions that Reecheru approached Robin. "Robin, do you happen to have an extra pair of sunglasses I can borrow?" she asked.

"Well I suppose that it is bright out here," Robin agreed. She led Rae to the women's quarters and opened a drawer she kept her accessories in. A pair of sunglasses that were slightly darker than the orange ones she wore were handed over to Rae.

Without waiting to go outside, Rae immediately put the glasses on her face. "Thank you very much," she said. Robin smiled and nodded as the two of them went back out onto the deck. "It's a shame that they hide your eyes," she mentioned. "I've never seen eyes like yours. They're unique and fascinating."

"Yeah, a real shame," Rae said. She only allowed a hint of sarcasm out. She didn't want to offend the person that was helping her. Glancing to the side she noticed that Luffy was still bugging Merissa about what she can do. Rae let a smirk out. It was a bit on the funny side if she really thought about.

"Why do you two wear the same clothes?" Luffy asked. "It's kind of hard to tell the difference between the two of you." Robin, Nami, Usopp and Brook were the only ones that were within earshot of the question.

"He does have a point," Nami pointed out. "Not about being unable to tell the difference, but why do you wear the same outfit? It's a bit on the boring side as well." Reecheru and Merissa were wearing the black pants and shirts common among ninjas in their village with the common green vest on top. Their hitai-ate were the only difference in their clothing. Merissa wore hers as a type of headband. Reecheru's was tied and tucked in a way that it covered the bun she kept her hair in for the moment.

"This is a type of uniform in our village," Merissa answered. "It's not exactly a requirement that we wear it. Mostly we wear it for travel or potentially dangerous missions. It's not only versatile, it can hold a great deal of hidden weapons without us needing to keep them all inside of our scrolls. Not to mention that it helps with our body temperature. If it's too hot we can roll up the sleeves and pants a bit. If it's too cold, like Punk Hazard's lab area, it will keep us warm for a small amount of time. At least long enough for us to get somewhere warm. Provided we stay awake for it."

"Had to get that rub in," Rae rolled her eyes. She then turned and addressed Nami. "We would change into our individualized clothing, but we left them on the boat. We have to wait until we either get to Revolutionary Head Quarters or meet up with some members of our team."

"I could loan you some money to get yourselves new clothes," Nami offered. The glint in her eye had both ninjas raising questions about the legitimacy of the offer.

"Don't do it!" Usopp called. "She'll rob you blind with her interest rates!" Robin giggled as Nami pounced on the long-nose for revealing her plan.

"It's a kind offer," Reecheru tried to appease. "It's not really needed though. What we have on is fine for now. If we can borrow a Den Den Mushi then it should get squared away in relative quick order."

Out of nowhere a den den mushi was placed in front of Rae's nose on a silver platter. Attached to the platter were a set of hands that obviously have never seen combant. Following the arms attached to the hands, Rae discovered that it was Sanji that brought the snail. "For you mademoiselle," he said smoothly.

"Thanks, I guess." Rae picked up the speaker for the snail and dialed a number. As she waited she recalled reading somewhere that Sanji only fought with his feet an not his hands. That would explain why his hands didn't show the normal signs a seasoned warriors would. Reecheru waited only a few seconds before someone answered.

"Are you calling to report? That was fast," a voice said.

"I'm probably not who you're expecting," Rae smirked. "Though it's nice of you to answer the call without yelling for once."

"RAE!? WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN!? WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL SOONER!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE OUT LOOKING FOR YOU TWO!?"

"That's what I'm used to," Rae commented. She had a finger in her ear as she tried to get it to stop ringing. "Calm down for a minute Ko."

"That's not my name."

"Due to circumstances beyond MY control, a certain someone who shall remain anonymous..."

"Like I don't know who you're talking about."

"Made it so that we got lost and then got involved in a mess on the island of Punk Hazard."

"You were on Punk Hazard?"

"After a load of bull and horse pocky we ended up leaving the island with the consequences of abandoning a portion of our gear. Most of it is not important..."

"Don't believe a word she says Ko!" Merissa cut in. "I had some expensive weapons among that stuff. Who's going to pay for all that?"

Rae's eyes shifted slightly to look at Merissa. A single eyebrow raised as an evil thought crossed her mind. The look, which was common when Rae had an 'inspired' idea, caused Merissa to grow silent and pay close attention. "You could always take the compensation out of the clown's hide." Merissa blinked once then pulled a kunai out. She started to make her way over to where Ceasar Clown was. She was stopped by Law standing between her and her target.

"Anyway," 'Ko' brought their attention back to the call.

"We were wondering if we can get a ship to meet us and either bring us to HQ, give us our spare clothes or give us another ship so we can get to HQ ourselves to file a report."

"That all depends on where you're heading."

"We're going to Dressrosa," Law informed the person on the other line.

"Who was that?"

"Trafalgar Law," Rae answered. "We bumped into him and the Straw Hats on Punk Hazard."

"Are you still with the Straw Hats?"

"Sure are," Luffy cut in. "I'm Luffy and I'm going to be king of the pirates."

The person on the other line laughed a little. "You sound just like the stories we've heard about you."

"There are stories going around about me?" Luffy asked.

"You're something of a legend. Especially with the way you declared war on the World Government. We really liked that piece of work."

Rae cleared her throat dramatically. "Can we get back on subject?'

"Oh, right." Ko snapped back into seriousness. "So you said you're heading to Dressrosa at the moment. How long will it take you to get there?"

"Two days," Nami answered this time. "Maybe less."

"Another of the Straw Hats? Just how many people are listening in on our conversation?"

Reecheru looked up and around. In the timespan she had been concentrating on the conversation all the crew had gathered. Though it looked like Zoro and Sanji were about to come to blows, again. "All of them," she deadpanned.

"They really are a curious bunch," Ko laughed. "Anyway, it's convenient that you're heading to Dressrosa now."

That snapped Rae and Merissa into attention. Immediately Merissa was in front of the den den mushi. "Make it unconvenient," she snapped. "We just got done with a mission. We don't need you and our former partner dragging us into any of your scams."

"I would like to say I would do that for you," Ko had a false sound of pity in her voice. "But it looks your former partner will be willing to call the boss just to get the two of you to behave and continue to Dressrosa."

"That's extortion and you know it," Rae snapped.

"How about this? You two come to Dressrosa without any more of a fuss and I'll make sure that we bring your 'fun' stuff."

Rae and Merissa were silent as they looked at each other then back to the den den mushi. "We have your word?" Merissa asked. She was giving the snail the stink eye.

"You have my promise or my name isn't Ko."

"It isn't," Rae and Merissa said in unison.

"THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU TWO! Now that we have that settled. Quit calling me Ko and I'll bring the scrolls with me."

"Fine," both women unisoned again.

"Is that all the 'thanks' I get?"

"Thank you Koala," Rae sighed. She noticed that Robin had a knowing smile on her face. That's when she remembered that she had trained at HQ for two years and already knew who they were talking to.

"I'll see you two in a few days. And Robin, make sure to check your sock drawer every morning around these two!"

"Thanks for the advice," Robin's smile grew. The den den mushi then went to sleep as Koala hung up the line.

"She doesn't let us have any fun," Merissa sighed.

"On the plus side," Rae put in. "She didn't say we had to stop all the other stuff that we pull on a regular basis."

"This is true," Merissa nodded.

Now that the interesting conversation seemed to be over, the crew went about their separate ways on the ship once again. "There's something that I'm curious about though," Rae said when the two of them were alone. "Sanji, as far as I knew, was in the kitchen working on dinner. How did he hear me when I said I needed to make a call?"

"Good question," Merissa answered.

"That's easy to answer," Chopper came up. "He claims that he can hear any woman when she needs something from a mile away. It happens a lot when Nami says she's thirsty."

"I thought you split to work in your office," Merissa smiled.

"I have a few questions about chakra from a medical stand point," Chopped said. "I was hoping that one of you could come with me to the office."

Rae looked over to Merissa. "You're the medic nin, this is your kitty."

"What's a medic nin?" Chopper asked.

"We're the first responders on the battlefield," Merissa answered. "Not only do we make for excellent ninja, but we also have the knowledge to perform emergency procedures that have saved many lives in the past. There's usually one on every three man squad."

Chopper had stars in his eyes. "So you're a doctor too?"

"I guess you could say that," Merissa said hesitantly. Chopper took hold of her hand and rushed towards his office. Merissa looked back to Rae for help, only to see her waving her hand in 'farewell'. "I can just feel the love," she muttered.

Once the two were out of sight, Rae wondered around the deck. She soon came upon Robin watering a bed of flowers. Making sure her approach was heard, Rae went up to the older woman. Robin turned slightly to see the origin of the footsteps. She wasn't surprised when she saw Rae coming up. "Do you like flowers?" she asked.

"I do," Rae admitted. "My mother has a huge garden back at the estate. Flowers surround every wall and archway. Sunflowers are prominent though."

"Which ones are your favorite flowers?" Robin inquired.

"I'm a fan of orchids and lilys," Rae answered. "Most of the time I like orchids the best. There are a few times that a favor the lily though."

"Then I'm assuming the lily is more your favorite when you're sad," Robin said. "I can see why the orchid is your favored one most of the time. It represents love, luxury, beauty and strength. Perhaps you're hoping for several of those things to come into your life?"

"And here I thought it was just really pretty," Rae laughed. Robin laughed along with her. Rae was starting to relax around the crew. Now if only they could get Merissa to do the same. Though, she had a feeling that Chopper had that one well under control.

"You said your mother had a huge garden," Robin reminded. "Did you help her tend to the flowers?"

"Not really," Rae admitted. "I was more into my training. She never pressured me to help with the flowers. She was mostly the same as I am. Being younger was meant for training and focusing our skills. When we're older we tend to find our own things to help us block out the violence of being a ninja. I've started to like being among flowers more than I used to so I imagine I'll most likely be following in her footsteps."

"So you like to look at the flowers?"

"It's a bit more in depth than that," Rae answered. "I like to be surrounded in the soothing aura of flowers while meditating or doing my katas."

"What does a kata look like?" Robin asked.

"That's a broad question," Rae pointed out. "Certain styles have certain katas. Some styles are more violent then others. I was trained in the style of the Gentle Fist."

"How does that help in a fight?" Zoro came up.

"Would you like to find out?" Rae smirked in challenge to him. "I could get some of my training in for the day and you can learn how effective a gentle fist can be." Zoro smirked at the prospect of a match. He started to take his swords from his sash. "You can use your weapons," Rae stopped him. "I'm a trained ninja after all. I'm supposed to expect to come across all manner of weaponry." The two moved away from the flowers and to the center of the deck. Zoro drew one sword as Reecheru fell into a fighting stance.

"Hey Luffy," Usopp tapped his captain's shoulder. The two of them had moved to the rail to do some fishing. "What do you think those two are up to?"

"Hmm?" Luffy looked behind him to see what Usopp was pointing at. He jumped to his feet and went to stand next to Robin. "It's a sparring match!" he yelled. "I get to take on the winner!"

A few of the crew gathered to see what all the commotion was about. When Sanji looked out the window of the kitchen to see the commotion he saw red. Zoro charged at Rae and started the attack. "Oi! Moss-head!" Sanji leapt into action to save one of their 'delicate' guests. He was about to jump down the stairs when a hand pulled him back. He looked behind to snap at whoever stopped him, but stopped short.

Merissa was standing there next to Nami and Chopper. "Just let them be," Merissa said. "She'll be just fine. It's only a friendly little match."

Not wanting to go against a woman, Sanji turned back to the fight with a growl. "Moss-head! If you hurt her I'll cook your longshanks for dinner!"

Zoro swung his sword with expert ease. He was unable to come close to hitting Reecheru, though. She dodged and ducked his attacks, not going on the offensive. He pulled out his second sword, now using the Kitetsu and Shusui. He came closer to earning a 'point' for the match, making it harder for Rae to dodge. Her movements, however, were so fluid that it was almost like trying to cut through a constantly shifting whirlpool of water.

"She looks like she's dancing," Momo commented from off to the side.

For this, Zoro had to agree with him. He'd never seen a fighter that made it look like a dance before. The moment of distraction was enough though. Rae dodged one of his attacks and in doing so got behind him. She then face palmed a spot close to where his kidneys were. The hit didn't hurt, but for some reason Zoro was sent crashing to his knees. His hands caught himself before his face hit the deck. They were shaking as if he had just gotten through fighting all day against 'Hawkeyes' himself. "What the hell?" he asked.

"My style isn't about force," Rae explained. She came up and knelt in front of Zoro. She put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing her forefinger and thumb in a pinching move. Almost instantly Zoro's shaking stopped and he was able to move again. "The body is a complex system of nerves and pumping blood vessels. Whether you're the strongest man alive or the weakest, the points are the same. The weakest man alive can take down the strongest if he's able to hit one of the weak points, or pressure points, of the body."

Zoro and Rae stood up at the same time. "That was interesting," Zoro smirked. "I'll have to train my body to be immune to that."

"That's not exactly possi..." Rae was cut off when Zoro walked away.

"We'll start daily training tomorrow morning." The crew then dispersed once again. This time it was accompanied by a snickering Merissa.

"What just happened?" Rae asked no one.


	13. Dressrosa

**Tsukino-** _Got your review and it reminded me. So this is for you. ; )_

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twelve: Dressrosa

It had been another two days since the sparring match with Zoro. Reecheru was running out of places to hide. Between Zoro wanting her help so he can become immune to pressure points and Luffy wanting to spar with her since he had called dibs on the winner she couldn't get any peace. Merissa was no help at all. As soon as she spotted where Rae had hid herself she would call attention to whoever was closer, Zoro or Luffy it didn't really matter.

Rae had finally taken a book out of some old sage advice. 'If you want to hide something then hide it directly under the nose of the person looking'. Rae was using her chakra to hide herself upside down under the mast head. Sure it was a little dangerous and tiring, but it was the first time she had peace without worrying about being spotted. Reecheru leaned back and felt her back crack several times. The noise caused her to stop and listen. As a ninja she was trained for utter silence. In her need for some peace she had allowed her body to become stiff and tense, making for uncontrollable noises, such as cracking bones.

Rae held her breath for several seconds. When no one was heard coming she exhaled as quietly as she could. Of course the yelp of surprise when a hand grabbed her shirt was a dead give away. The world turned into blurred images as she was pulled from her hiding place. Once she got her equilibrium back Rae found herself face to face with Luffy, who had a huge grin spread across his face. "Found you!" he announced. "You must really like this game. Hide-and-seek is fun and all, but I want to spar."

As Luffy was pulling Rae to the middle of the deck she monotoned, "Oh joy."

Having heard of some of Luffy's moves from the other members of the crew, Rae started the match by creating shadow clones. Just like Punk Hazard she made the clones appear in nearly an instant. The difference was that instead of only three or four she made twenty. This made Luffy start seeing stars right away. He was so star struck that he didn't notice that the clones had all jumped at him. Each one hit him in various points to no effect. When they backed away Luffy grinned.

"Now it's my turn," he announced. He wound up one of his arms then jumped into the air. "Now, Gum-Gum Gatling!" Most of the clones disappeared in a puff of smoke. When it cleared there was no one else on the deck. "AAAAAHHHHH!" Luffy started screaming. "I accidentally vaporized Rae!"

Luffy's announcement caused his head to suddenly be slammed in a different direction. The cause was Sanji's foot while said man glowered at the rubber captain. "How could you kill that lovely flower!?" He then proceeded to pound into Luffy.

A feminine laugh caused them to look up. Rae was standing upside down on the crows nest. "You forget what a ninja's primary goal is," she teased. She dropped down to land on her feet in front of the two. "The clones were a distraction and a test. I know that Luffy is made out of rubber. I didn't know how effective my techniques would be. In this case, I'm going to have to give the win to Luffy. Without my weapons my only offense are pressure points. But with him being made of rubber, Luffy has no pressure points."

"Do you hear that Zoro!?" Luffy called out. "Rae can't make me crawl on the ground like a baby the same way she made you!"

From the crows nest a shadow loomed over Luffy. "Uh oh," he said. He dodged out of the way to miss Wado cutting him in half. The two then started having their own 'sparring' match. Luffy was laughing the whole time while Zoro had a serious face on.

"Distraction successful," Rae started laughing. She turned and started walking towards the girl quarters. "I'll just be on my way then." She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see that Luffy had taken the time to stretch and stop her. Using Rae as an anchor, Luffy pulled himself away from Zoro and crashed into her. Rae let out a grunt when the two of them landed. "I had no idea rubber was so heavy."

Luffy was yanked off from the ground by Sanji, lecturing him about being too rough with women even though said woman is a fighter. Rae started to get up, only for a hand to grab her upper her arm and pull her to her feet. Once she was steady the hand let go. Reecheru turned to see that Zoro had been the one to help her. "You willing to help me train my pressure points?" he asked.

Rae was about to answer when she was interrupted by Law. "Dressrosa is in sight," he announced. This caused Luffy and Sanji to stop what they were doing. Luffy rushed to his spot on the mast head to get a good look. "You'll have time to train later. Right now we need to get ready for the operation."

"Up here Rae," Nami called. "I've got something for you to go to town with."

"A shopping list?" Rae asked.

"I'm not asking you to run errands," Nami laughed. "We decided that you and Merissa will take part in the operation."

"In what way?" Merissa asked from behind Nami.

The sudden appearance made Nami jump in fright. "Don't scare me like that," she snapped.

"Occupational hazard," Merissa dismissed. "What exactly is it that you want the two of us to do? We have to go and meet our contact after all."

"Well, you said yourself that you won't meet them until closer to evening. It shouldn't take longer than an hour or two. Merissa will go with Robin, Law and Usopp as they make the exchange with Doflomingo. Think of it like extra security. Rae will go with Luffy, Franky, Zoro and Sanji to look for the SMILE Factory. With your clones it should be a snap. Kin'emon is going to look for his friend as he tags along with you."

"Why exactly should we help you?" Merissa asked.

"I could charge you a fee for passage," Nami smiled.

Two days on the ship and the two kunoichi learned various things. Among them was never borrow from, bet, barter, haggle or negotiate fees with Nami. "We'll go," both of them announced.

"I knew you'd see it our way," Nami grinned. "So Rae, the others in your group are going to be dressed differently. It's only natural that you dress along with them. With the exception of Luffy, they're all going to be in suits. You need a dress to match."

"As long as I can move freely and fight if needed," Rae allowed. She knew that if she gave Nami full reins to dress her she would come out either looking like a doll or in a dress that was too tight or very revealing. The daughter of the Hyuga clan had a reputation to uphold.

"You'll have to act a bit," Nami explained as she rifled through her and Robins closet. "Which also means you'll have to act like you're with one of the guys. I suggest going along with one of the guys that isn't a pervert."

"In my opinion," Rae crossed her arms. "That narrows my selection to two. I either hang off of the arm of Luffy or Zoro. Can you picture either one of them agreeing to that? Let's not even mention how high maintenance Luffy can be. I promise you I'll either loose sight of him or have my arm yanked off."

"Zoro it is then."

"He won't agree."

"I'm pretty sure he will." Nami had a smile on her face. The kind that proved she knew something that you didn't. Rae stopped arguing with her at that point. With her luck, Nami would start charging her for every time she was right.

Zoro pulled the collar of his dress shirt away from his neck again. With a frustrated growl he removed the tie Usopp forced on him and undid the top three buttons. It finally felt like he wasn't being choked to death. The sunglasses added a nice touch though. Nami stomped up to the group of men going into the town. She then smacked fake mustaches and beards on their faces. Zoro ripped the beard part off of himself. He was reaching for the mustache when a look from Nami made him pause. "At least leave that part on," she hissed. Zoro reluctantly lowered his hand.

Nami stepped away from the guys and looked them over. Sanji, Kin'emon and Zoro didn't look half bad. Franky and Luffy on the other hand... Nami rolled her eyes at them. Trying to get Luffy in a suit had the same results as trying to get a Sea King in one. Franky only wore the dress shirt and jacket. The only thing covering his lower extremeties was his faithful speedo undies.

"Almost perfect," Nami clapped her hands. "Zoro is just missing an intricate part of his disguise." Zoro looked down at himself while the other guys looked at him. They were all trying to figure out what Nami was talking about. "You can come out now!" Nami called towards the women's door.

The door cracked a bit. Rae's head poked out slightly. "I'm not so sure about this," she said.

"It's part of the disguise," Nami explained. "I made sure you could move in it."

"But high heels?"

"It looks good on you," Robin's voice came from inside.

"It does look good," Merissa agreed. "But don't you ladies think it would look better without the sunglasses?"

Rae's head snapped around to look into the room. "Not a chance," she said. "I need these to keep people from staring. The less crowd we draw the better."

"Actually," Nami said thoughtfully. "That's not a half bad idea. The more attention you draw to yourself the more you'll take away from the guys."

"You can't be serious!" Before Reecheru could protest further a hand bloomed by the door. It took off Rae's glasses and tossed them into the room. As Rae started to turn around another hand pushed her out of the door.

The men lined in front of Nami had various reactions. Sanji and Kin'emon had hearts pop into the eyes. Luffy had his infamous grin on his face. Franky gave a 'thumbs up' followed with his ever present, "SUPER!" Zoro's sunglasses slipped down his nose slightly. He was staring at her from over the top of them. Any expression had melted off of his face.

Rae stood at the top of the stairs wearing a double layered, form fitting dress with slits in the side. The bottom layer was pitch black that stopped two inches below her collar bone. Over that was a type of black lace. It covered the rest of her collar bone and her shoulders. It was sleeveless so her arms were bare. There was a pattern woven into the lace of silvery blue roses. They started above her left knee going up and gently swerving to her right hip. From there they continued to go up and swerved back to cross over her heart. There the pattern spread to cover the lace in a pattern of flowers bursting away from the main group. It looked as if it was a vine crawling up the dress only to explode when it reached the top. (The dress in the description is a Tadashi Shoji Dress. You can look it up on the Bloomingdales website. Although that one doesn't have slits in the side.)

Nami ran up the stairs and grabbed a hold of Rae's hand when it didn't look like she was going to move. She dragged her down and had her stand next to Zoro. "You two look so cute together," she gushed.

"What are you playing at Nami?" Zoro asked. He finally managed to get his voice back.

"You're all in disguise," Nami explained. "It would look weird if Rae went with you wearing that horrendous.."

"Hey."

"Black and green thing."

"I like green," Rae snapped. A snort from Luffy and a snicker from Franky caused her to blush uncontrollably. She knew what they suddenly thought. As if they had a mind of their own, Rae's eyes went to look at Zoro's hair. As they did so, she found that Zoro was staring right at her. Rae quickly looked away, doing a fantastic impersonation of a tomato.

"Yes Rae," Nami had an evil little smirk. Well, evil in Rae's opinion. Merissa and Robin were at the top of the stairs, enjoying the show. "I know you do. That's why you're being paired with Zoro."

"How did you..." Rae stopped herself from saying what she wanted. "...come to that conclusion."

"Nice save," Merissa laughed.

Nami didn't stop there though. She went behind Zoro and Rae. She took Zoro's left hand and put it around Rae's waist and pushed Rae closer to Zoro. "I think this is a bit much," Zoro pointed out.

"Not at all," Nami dismissed. "You're supposed to be acting like a couple on vacation here in Dressrosa. In fact, you should be snuggled up closer if you ask me."

"If Moss-head has a problem with it I'll act as Rae's boyfriend," Sanji volunteered.

"I humbly volunteer my services in our efforts," Kin'emon also commented.

"This is fine," Zoro yelled at them. "I just think everyone is making a big deal out of nothing."

"You say that now," Robin teased. "Just wait until someone else sets their eyes on our lovely pale eyed kunoichi."

"That's right Robin," Luffy cheered. "Now it's time to go into town." He started marching his way to the outskirts of Dressrosa. The others in his group followed after. As they walked Rae had to lean closer to Zoro in order to keep her balance. The added weight from his hand was throwing off her center of gravity. That was her story and she was sticking to it.

"I don't think Rae realized what Luffy meant," Nami giggled.

"Of course she didn't," Robin smiled. "Otherwise she would be long gone."

"What are you two talking about?" Merissa asked.

"We'll tell you while we're getting your clothes picked out for the mission."


	14. New Orders

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Thirteen: New Orders

Merissa blinked at the two women in the room. The two had just finished telling her what Luffy had meant as the group was leaving. With Robin commenting on how Rae was 'their kunoichi' he had immediately agreed. This meant that Luffy had decided on one of two things. The first is the most obvious, he decided that Reecheru was now a part of the crew. The second option would be that he considered both of the women part of the crew. Nami and Robin both agreed that that second option was the more likely of the two.

Merissa continued to stare at them in shock. Neither one paid much attention to her as they continued to sift through the clothes they had. They were looking for something she could wear on her mission with Law's group when they exchanged Clown. Merissa's eyes shifted to the door. She was wondering if she would be able to make a get away, grab Reecheru, meet their contact and get out of this place before the crew noticed they were missing.

"That isn't the best choice," Robin's voice startled Merissa. Merissa turned back to see Robin staring at her. "If you're thinking of trying to get away I should warn you about our captain. He's very determined when it comes to getting crew members. From what I understand, he basically blackmailed Zoro into joining, announced Nami was the navigator from the start without so much as thinking she would disagree, welcomed Usopp right away, pestered Sanji into joining despite the number of refusals he gave and chased Chopper around a castle. When I joined the crew I was still considered an enemy by all except Luffy. He welcomed me without much thought or taking the opinion of the others into consideration. To get Franky to join he held his only pair of underwear hostage which caused Franky to flash all of Water 7. He asked Brooke to join based off of the fact that he's a living skeleton. He didn't much care if Brooke had anything else to offer the crew. As it turned out he had lots to offer and is now an integral part. When Law offered the alliance he didn't have any hesitation even after he was warned that he could be betrayed by the other captain. I wouldn't be surprised that he considers you to be Nakama already."

"Life just doesn't work that way," Merissa argued. "Reecheru and I already have prior commitments that we can't abandon. Your captain is going to have to be disappointed when it's time for us to leave."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Nami smiled. She was holding up a t-shirt with a puppy on it that showed a bit of a mid-drift.

"What the hell is that?" Merissa asked.

"This is your disguise," Nami explained.

"I don't think so," Merissa crossed her arms. "The style of the shirt I have no problem with, but I refuse to look like a child obsessed with puppies."

Nami let out a huff of air as she blew at her bangs. Merissa wasn't stopping her completely from finding her a disguise, but she had wanted to see what this shirt would look like on her. Nami turned around and continued in her search. Robin smiled as she watched the interaction between the two of them.

Reecheru glanced up at the man that she was walking next to. Zoro was looking straight ahead, making sure to follow Luffy and the others. Reecheru was blushing as she noted that Zoro's hand had not moved from it's spot on her waist when Nami put it there. "You don't have to hold me so close anymore," she muttered. "I'm sure that it can't be easy for you to be forced into a situation like this."

"What kind of situation do you mean?" Zoro asked. He looked down at Reecheru, but he did not move his hand.

"You're being forced to act like my boyfriend," Reecheru reminded. "A lone wolf like yourself can't be very pleased with that kind of situation."

"How much of a lone wolf do you think I am?" Zoro returned his attention to the front. "I don't recall telling you that I do things alone."

"It's in your personality," Reecheru pointed out. "Your aura just screams out that you prefer to be alone."

"You're only partially right about that," Zoro smirked. "As far as facing my enemy, yes, I prefer to face my battles alone. The same can be said about Luffy and the Love-cook. We prefer to fight on our own. It's what we fight for that makes the difference. I fight to achieve both my own goals and Luffy's. I also fight to protect the members of the crew that are weaker. When the occasion calls for it then we all fight together if necessary."

"Okay, you're not a complete lone wolf." Reecheru took back what she said a moment ago. "That still doesn't mean that you have to hold me so close."

Zoro looked over his shoulder pointedly. Reecheru followed his gaze and noticed both Sanji and Kin'emon walking behind them. Kin'emon seemed to be normal, altough after Reecheru watched him for a moment he seemed to be stiff and moving forward forcefully. Sanji just seemed like a hot, rolling fire of rage. He glared at Zoro as if he could set the swordsman on fire just by staring. Zoro looked back down to Reecheru's face. "Yes I do," he faced forward again. This time he pulled Reecheru to walk a little closer to him once again. Rae's ears burned with all of the cursing that suddenly came out of Sanji's mouth. A smirk was all that showed Zoro had even heard him.

Reecheru shook her head at their antics. It was obvious that Sanji wanted to do bodily harm to Zoro. At the same time he was restraining himself because of her close proximity. Zoro was only holding her close, in her opinion, to illicit a reaction. So far it was working. Reecheru returned her attention ahead where Luffy and Franky were leading them. The two in the lead seemed to be oblivious to the inner squabbling's of the crew behind.

Merissa blinked at the outfit held out to her. "Just no," she shook her head. "I compliment the colors and the coordination on a whole. I will not be wearing that though. There's not much to it, especially if there's a fight. What kind of protection does it even offer and where can I hide my weapons."

"You currently don't have any weapons," Robin helpfully pointed out. "Not to mention you've already refused to wear everything else that you've been shown."

"You have two choices at this point," Nami declared. "Wear this outfit or I'm forcing the dog shirt on you."

"Now you're just being cruel," Merissa narrowed her eyes.

"I guess it's the dog," Nami started forward.

"It's neither," Merissa announced. "I can just wear what I have on."

"You're current outfit screams that you're up to no good," Robin said. "Black and dark green, while they do look good in that particular style, are not colors associated with tourists."

"How about this," Nami put the dog shirt back down. "You'll wear this final outfit or I'll charge you travel expenses. Also, I'll charge Reecheru double and tell her why."

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" Merissa yelled. She snatched the outfit that Nami held out to her helpfully. "You know what you are? You're an extortionist."

"Whatever works," Nami shrugged uncaringly. She and Robin left the room to give Merissa some privacy as she changed. Though Nami did give her a glare before leaving that just screamed Merissa would regret it if she tried to wear anything else.

Reecheru blinked as the floor in the restaurant/casino gave way. The crooked men in charge all fell down to what seemed like a bottomless chasm. "You're pretty strong old man," Luffy was saying. "What's your name?"

The blind man let out a raspy chuckle. "I think for both our sakes it's better if I don't tell you that," he said. The man then left the restaurant without another word.

"That was bracing," Reecheru commented. As she turned to see if anyone was ready to leave she heard Zoro give a shout. She looked at him to see what the trouble was. He was looking all around himself and the table. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"One of my swords was stolen," he announced. Right after that announcement other patrons in the restaurant were claiming that they had various things taken from them as well. One helpfull living toy suggested that it was the work of fairies. The citizens of Dressrosa then brushed it off, all believing that there was nothing they could do to get their stuff back. "You've got to be shitting me!" Zoro's anger continued to rise the longer his sword was missing. "Things don't just disappear and fairies don't exist."

"Maybe if you paid more attention you wouldn't have lost it," Sanji goaded.

"Talk about poking a viper's nest," Reecheru muttered.

Zoro was about to snap in retaliation when a clattering noise drew his attention to a nearby window. A bag that seemed overloaded with stuff was trying to get through. The only reason it wasn't was because Zoro's sword was not only preventing a quick escape it was also the cause of the clattering. "THERE YOU ARE!" Zoro exclaimed. "DON'T EVEN THINK OF TRYING TO GET AWAY!"

The bag paused, Reecheru could swear the thing was sweating in fear, and then started trying to get out of the window again only more frantic this time. Zoro was on top of it quickly with his hand extended for his sword. Just before he could reach it the bag made it out of the window and starting rushing down the street. Zoro jumped out of the same window and gave chase. Sanji yelled after him, not wanting the man to get lost. He quickly told the others that he would meet back up with them once he tracked the swordsman down.

Kin'emon took that moment to announce he was going off on his own as well. He needed to find his friend and all this waiting around was just wasting his time. Without waiting for any of the others to acknowledge him, he ran out of the building as well.

"I'll take that as my cue to leave as well," Reecheru stated. "It's almost time for me to meet with my contacts anyway." She turned to Luffy and gave a bow. "Thankyou for giving Merissa and I a ride here." She straightened her posture and looked Luffy in the eye. The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates was giving her a confused look. "If we should happen to meet again I'll be sure to repay the favor."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked. "Of course we're going to meet again."

"I like your optimism," Reecheru smiled. "In that case, I'll see you all later."

Luffy let a huge gring spread across his face. "You can count on it," he said.

Reecheru left the restaurant as well, never noticing that Franky was restraining himself from laughing out loud. "I can hardly wait," he said. "It'll be SUPER entertaining when we get back to the ship."

"What are **_you_** talking about Franky?" Luffy asked.

"I mean, Reecheru is SUPER clueless about you making her and Merissa a part of the crew."

"WHAT!?" Luffy's mouth dropped so low it nearly hit the floor. "How could they not know that they're a part of our crew now?"

"Perhaps it's because you've never really told them," Franky pointed out. "Plus, I'm sure their SUPER-iors would have something to say about them becoming pirates."

Luffy looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned. "We'll make sure that they know when it's time to leave," he announced. "Then they can always fire their superiors later."

"That's not really how it works," Franky said with a shrug. "But you're not too far off. Like I said, this will be SUPER entertaining."

It didn't take Reecheru too long to reach the rendezvous point. Being a ninja definitely had it's perks. Of course, Koala and Sabo were already waiting for her. Koala handed her a bag that was filled to the brim with sealing scrolls of various uses. "We also have a few messages for you and Merissa," Koala stated. She looked behind Reecheru and back pointedly.

"She's been detained for a little while," Reecheru said. "We'll be meeting back up before the end of the day."

"That's a good thing," Sabo nodded. "But we can't sit around and wait for her. The operations for today can't wait, not with the arrival of the Straw Hats. Things are going to start getting interesting around here."

Reecheru's eyes snapped to look at Sabo. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Well first off," Koala started. "You already know that the chief and Leader have suspected this island of dealing weapons in the black market and stirring war all around the world. You and Merissa were the ones to dig that information up after all. Secondly, Doflomingo has gotten his hands on the Flare-Flare Fruit."

"Portgas D. Ace's?" Reecheru asked for clarification.

"The very same," Sabo confirmed. Reecheru didn't need to ask what the importance of this was to Sabo. Everyone close to Sabo now knew of his relation to both Ace and Luffy. "Doflomingo is using it as a prize for a battle tournament today. He plans to lure and trap Luffy in the colosseum while the rest of the crew is destroyed."

"Leave it to someone that thinks themselves as gods to not play fair," Reecheru rolled her eyes. "I suppose it would be too much to ask that the nations still had the Jinchuriki system in effect. That would shut them up real quick and in a hurry. How can you claim to be a god when you're not even omnipotent?"

"Those with big heads can't see past their own nose," Koala snorted. "On top of that, they refuse to think that they're just humans like the rest of us."

"I would love the opportunity to change their minds," Reecheru hissed.

"You just might get your chance," Sabo let out a smirk. "Leader has contacted the Hokage and told her he no longer requires the aid of you and Merissa. At least, not after she sent over another team to work with the Revolution."

"What team?" Reecheru asked. "Why aren't we needed any longer?"

"You're still needed," Koala appeased. "Just not in the same capacity as you were. Leader wants to make a statement to the government. Letting the information slip that there are nations out there that exist outside of the government's control is most likely going to cause quite the stir with other nations. Considering the state that Dressrosa is in right now, how the government allowed this to happen, is going to raise a fuss when word gets out. Leader intends to do everything possible to make sure that it does. Add that to the knowledge of other governments working successfully as independant nations is going raise questions. A fair number of rulers are going to start asking what use the World Government is for them. At least that's what they should be asking."

"Long story short," Sabo cut in. "You and Merissa no longer need to work from the shadows and gather information. We want you two to be noticed. We also would like you to make sure that people know where you come from. You're top warriors and operatives of a nation that does not answer to the World Government."

"That's a great plan and all," Reecheru started. "But you're forgetting one very important detail in all of this. With no standing orders from the Hokage then Merissa and I need to return to the village." Koala then handed over a tone dial. "What's this?"

"Give it a listen," Sabo smiled.

Reecheru pressed the button on the top of the dial. "Hawk and Fox, this is Dog. You are receiving new orders as of now."

"Why is the Hokage speaking in code?" Reecheru muttered.

"Security," Koala pointed out. "In case the dial fell into wrong hands."

"Shh," Sabo chastised. Both women quieted as they continued to listen.

"From this moment on you have a new assignment. As Anbu operatives of the Leaf you are hereby on an S class mission." Reecheru sucked in a hiss of breath. This was much more then a simple reassignment. "It is my understanding that you've come across a group of individuals that excel at getting under the skin of the World Government. Here are you're new orders. Join them, if it's possible. While you're traveling take every chance available to you when you cross any official of the World Government. Don't let them have their way. If they're up to less then chivalrous deeds then stop their plans by any means. If they're actually helping then help in your own way without being caught. Make sure the people know that there's a country out there that thrives outside of the World Government and that we're declaring a war of wits against them. I expect regular reports sent in regards to your success. You will not return to the village until you have been called. Do you get me?" The tone dial fell silent as the unspoken threat hung in the air.

"Well that's just great," Reecheru sighed. Koala held her hand out for the dial, which Reecheru returned. No doubt it was meant to be left somewhere a marine could find it. "You never said who's replacing us."

"Leader has ordered Team Dragon to infiltrate Marie Jois and discover what secret weapon they have hidden." Sabo gave Reecheru a pointed look. "They're also to disable it if they can. If not, then the specs and weaknesses will be enough."

"My brother gets to annoy the Celestial Dragons and I get to babysit pirates? That's just all kinds of wrong."


	15. Regrouping

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Fourteen: Regrouping

Merissa sat at the coffee shop with Usopp, Robin, a chained up Ceasar Clown and Law. Her face was in a frown that would surely have made her ancestors proud. She was being forced to wear one of the most ridiculous outfits she had ever seen. She had on a royal purple tube top. Over that, thank goodness for small miracles, was a cream colored jacket with no buttons or zipper. The blasted thing only went down to just below her tube top. She had cream colored short shorts with a royal purple belt to tie in with the top half. On her feet were a pair of purple go-go boots. Hopefully they could get the job done and back to the ship before Reecheru caught sight of her. Knowing her, she would likely take advantage of the situation. It went without saying that Merissa would do the same.

"It doesn't look that bad Merissa," Robin soothed. "Just look around the shop." Warily, Merissa did as Robin suggested. Many men, toys included, were stopping and staring at her. Some even went so far as to have stars or hearts in their eyes. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings."

Merissa turned her attention back to Robin. "I don't think I like the idea of noticing men noticing me," she said. "As a ninja I'm not really comfortable with so many eyes on me."

"Then you're in luck," Usopp puffed out his chest. "Every guy that comes close I've been glaring at."

"You've also been ignored," Ceasar pointed out. He quickly shut his mouth when Usopp hit him in the head with the paper he had been 'reading'.

"In truth," Robin took up the conversation. "It has been Tra-guy that's been glaring, and subsequently scaring, them away."

"We don't need people coming closer to us," Law defended. "It wouldn't do well for us if we were to be recognized before we finish."

"Yes of course," Robin smiled softly. It was a look that spoke she had observed more than she let on.

Reecheru found a place to change her clothes. "He could have at least let me join the tournament," she muttered under her breath. Donning her dark Anbu uniform she carefully folded the dress she had borrowed. She placed it and her shoes on top of a blank scroll. With a few had gestures the clothes were gone and the scroll now had words on it. Reecheru carefully rolled it up and placed it in her pack. She then started releasing several scrolls that had weapons and began to hide them on her person.

After checking to make sure that the coast was clear, Reecheru placed her mask over her face and hid her hair. She then jumped onto the roof of the building she had changed in. Her first order of business was to find where Merissa went and give her the scrolls that she needed.

Once they made it to Green Bit, Merissa watched as Usopp put his hands on his knees and started panting dramatically. "If you call that little cardio exercise tiring then you need some major endurance training," Merissa pointed out. Usopp's only response was to glare at her. To her merit, Merissa only smiled back at him.

Robin wandered off a bit and was studying the plant life. She had never seen such large plant life growing naturally. Merissa stopped her teasing of Usopp to see what had the archeologist so distracted.

"We'll need to split up from here," Law announced. "We don't want to be taken by surprise when Doflomingo shows up. Nico-ya, you and the others should go and survey the island. I'll stay here with Ceasar and wait for Doflomingo."

"Finally I get to do something useful," Merissa stretched. She never noticed that Law had looked at her from the corner of his eye. Robin, however, was not so unobservant. She had a slight smile and began to walk into the trees. Usopp followed behind her quickly. Merissa jumped into the branches silently.

The first of the Straw Hats that Reecheru found since getting her equipment back was Sanji and he wasn't alone. He was with a woman that had long, curly black hair. She wore a very tight white dress with red dots. She was leading Sanji to an abandoned storage unit. It didn't take long for Reecheru to note the shady guys in matching dark sweaters and grey pants rushing into the building. It was just a matter from now on if Sanji would be able to handle himself. "Love-cook has three minutes," she promised.

It didn't take that long though. Sanji burst through the doors, still holding onto that woman's hand. Once they were out of sight, Reecheru went into the building to try and figure out what happened to the other men. The group of men were all knocked out. A few were even bleeding on the ground. "Won't be needing to rush to his rescue," Reecheru let out a relieved sigh. "But that leads to more questions. Sanji was going to chase after Zoro. Unless I'm missing something really big, I doubt that woman he was with was Zoro. Did they all just decide to have a race to she who can find the factory first or what?" Reecheru asked herself. "I really wouldn't put it past them, especially Luffy. Although, given the information that I just received, I'm pretty sure I know where to find Luffy. Perhaps I should just meet back up with him instead of spending my time searching for Merissa. We're bound to meet up with her later." Finished discussing the plan with herself, Reecheru headed to the center of town.

"They're little people," Merissa noted. She was in her hiding place in the trees when the three came across a group of marines being attacked by 'something'. Merissa activated her Sharingan with hopes that would answer the question on what that 'something' was. It was pure luck that Robin and Usopp were too busy watching what was going on to notice the change in her eyes. When Robin caught one it went downhill from there. Both she and Usopp had been taken by the things. Merissa could only shake her head. None of the creatures hurt them, or the marines they were attacking for that matter. Merissa doubted that the two were in danger. Right now she needed to make sure Law was aware of the Marines presence on the island. It was doubtful that it was a coincidence.

By the time that she found him, Robin had already informed him of the situation using her devil fruit powers. Doflomingo was on the approach so it was not a good idea for Merissa to draw attention to herself. With someone that works so closely with the government it wouldn't do well for her to be spotted. She still had secret missions to do for the revolutionaries. It was just a matter of finding out what their next mission was. Reecheru would obviously be the first to find out. Knowing her partner as well as she did, Merissa knew Reecheru would do one of several things. She would actively search her out and pull her from this job if the mission was ranked high, she would sit and wait for Merissa to join her or she would continue to help Luffy and the others until it was time to part ways. Merissa had to grimace at that thought. According to Nami and Robin, Luffy wasn't going to give them much of a choice on what they did once this whole thing was finished. "I guess I'll just go and help Robin and Usopp," she whispered. She then left as silently as she had arrived.

Reecheru got to the colosseum to find it locked tight. Normally that wouldn't be a problem for her. However, Sabo had given her strict orders not to enter. Normally Reecheru did what she wanted, orders or not. For some reason she didn't feel much like joining the tournament. Not to mention that it had already started and there likely wasn't a way for her to enter without being noticed at this point. So Reecheru found a decent hiding place and waited. Her spot gave her the perfect view of the courtyard to the colosseum.

It didn't take long for Zoro and Kin'emon to show up. The two began an argument about how they were going to get in. Kin'emon kept shooting down Zoro's ideas of cutting a hole in the wall. A strange man with bright green hair and sharp teeth showed up on scene. He was inside the colosseum. Upon seeing Zoro he started crying and gushing about how much he adores Luffy, Zoro and the rest of the Straw Hats. It took a while, but Zoro managed to convince the strange man to go and get Luffy.

That's when things started to get really interesting. While Luffy was talking with Kin'emon and Zoro, Law fell out of the sky. This caused Reecheru to immediately stand on her feet. If Law was in this kind of condition then what happened to Merissa? Someone was going to feel her wrath very soon if she didn't get any answers.

Zoro leapt to Law's defense and attacked Doflomingo. His attack was blocked by the blind man from the restaurant. After a test of strength the area around Zoro started cracking under a great pressure. The ground under him caved before Zoro gave in to the man. Kin'emon tried to rush to Zoro's aid, but he was stopped by an attack from Doflomingo hitting him. Luffy grabbed the bars of the colosseum in order to rush to their aid. He immediately slumped down, as the energy was drained from him. Zoro pushed against the forces holding him down and launched his attack from a distance. He jumped out of the hole and announced that their opponent was an admiral of the marines.

Reecheru tightened her mask, making sure it was secure. With the arrival of an admiral that changes a few things. She's under orders to make sure that the Leaf is announced to the world and that they're not weak. Reecheru pulled a set of wakizashis from her back. Standard for all Anbu operatives. Reecheru focused her chakra into the blades. They started to glow and hum with her element of wind. She then rushed into the fray.

Doflomingo brought down his hand in an attempt to end Kin'emon. His 'invisible and indestructable' strings were not only stopped, but cut through. A woman dressed in black with a light grey armor over her chest, forearms, calves and upper thighs was crouched over Kin'emon in a defensive stance. The two 'swords' she carried were glowing a light blue and were emitting a sound that resembled wind rustling the leaves of trees. She wore a mask that resembled a fox, completely obscuring her features.

Doflomingo jumped back as the woman pressed in for an attack. He stood above everyone on his strings, a demonstration of his own perceived superiority. The woman on the ground started throwing thick knives at him. He barely dodged them. One managed to put a small cut in his hand when he didn't move fast enough. "A high target in the air and in the open makes for an easy target," the woman stated. "To me, your forehead is nothing more than one large bulls-eye asking for me to attack it."

"This has become dangerous," Fujitora announced. He approached closer to where Doflomingo was standing. "We should pull back for now. We know nothing of this new warrior."

A vein popped in Doflomingo's forehead. A clear sign of his displeasure. He hated the idea of having to retreat. He hated the idea of someone in his city that he didn't know about even more. Doflomingo made a gesture with his hands and fingers and pulled Law to him. The fox-woman below attempted to cut through the string and make him drop Law. Fujitora stopped the knives course by raising a chunk of ground between the newcomer and Doflomingo. The two of them made a hasty retreat.

With the immediate danger taken care of, Fox turned to Kin'emon. He was starting to stand on his own at this point. A cut was bleeding from his shoulder. Zoro walked up to the two of them as the marines started to slowly close in. The fox-woman turned to him. "You are uninjured?" she asked.

Zoro stiffened at the sound. He knew he had heard that voice somewhere before. "I'm fine," he managed to get out.

"Then we'll concentrate on other things," fox-woman said. She was facing the direction of the marines. "I doubt they will allow us to discuss things or answer questions."

"What a pain," Zoro growled.

"Oi, Kin'emon-san! What happened?! What's going on!?" A baby snail was freaking out from Kin'emon's waist.

"Everything is fine Skeleton-dono," Kin'emon answered. "Thanks to a timely intervention from a kunoichi we are fine."

"Is she there with you now?" Kin'emon looked at the fox-woman expectantly. Obviously he was waiting for her to give the skeleton an affirmative. Reecheru smirked behind her mask. This was going to be funny. She opened her mouth to start speaking.

"Where did you get that cool mask!?" Luffy interrupted. "Did you get one for me too?"

"What are you talking about?" Zoro demanded. "Why would a stranger get you a mask?"

"What are _you_ talking about?" Luffy challenged. "Why wouldn't she get me a mask. Reecheru has been traveling with us for a while now."

"EEEHHHH!?" Kin'emon and Brook's voice sounded as they heard Luffy make the announcement.

Reecheru let out a light laugh. That's when Zoro let a smirk free. He should have figured it out sooner. It was obvious that Luffy used observation haki as soon as someone new joined the fight. He would have as well, if he wasn't concentrating on the admiral he was facing against.

"I'm under new orders," Reecheru announced. She then turned to face the marines. In a louder voice she spoke so all could hear here. "The Village Hidden in the Leaves has decided to help the other nations break free from an oppresive government."


	16. Operations

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Fifteen: Operations

As it turned out Robin and Usopp didn't need Merissa's help at all. When she had arrived at the scene the little people were hailing Usopp as their hero. Robin was sending the man little glares every now and then. When she made her presence known Usopp immediately claimed that she was one of his top fighters. The little people then started calling her Meri-land. The whole thing was starting to give Merissa a migraine.

It didn't take long for Usopp's plan to backfire. The little people were planning on an attack against the Don Quixote family. The plan changed slightly with Usopp's arrival. They were now going to have him at the forefront, leading the attack. They wanted to take the three of them to meet the commander of their army.

This news caused both Robin and Merissa to smirk at Usopp. That's what he got for lying so much. The three humans traveled back with the group to the main island of Dressrosa using their 'buses' which were just over sized foxes. "What Rae wouldn't give to meet one of these guys," Merissa mused.

"Why is that?" Robin asked.

"Her ancestor was a Jinchuriki," Merissa explained.

"We don't know what that is," Usopp snapped.

"A human chosen to house a powerful demon spirit," Merissa smirked. She was looking at Usopp at this point. "Not only did he house a powerful demon, he housed the most powerful of them. The Nine-tailed fox demon."

"So they have a fondness for foxes?" Robin asked.

"More then you would imagine," Merissa agreed.

"What happened to her ancestor?" Usopp asked as he sweated.

"He died," Merissa answered as a shadow crossed her features. "His death released the nine-tails, who now travels the world and hunts for the descendants of the one that had imprisoned him."

"You mean that it's hunting for Reecheru?" Usopp gulped.

"Perhaps," Merissa said mysteriously. "Or it's already found her, possessed her and is using her to create as much death and destruction as possible." At this point she had Usopp nearly wetting himself.

While he was in a corner making plans for a shelter Robin approached Merissa. "How much of that is actually true?" she asked.

"The bit about the ancestor is true," Merissa whispered so Usopp wouldn't hear. "He died of old age surrounded by loved ones. The nine-tails and him had become friends somewhere along the line and often fought together. Upon the death of his host, the nine-tails left peacefully. He promised to always watch over the line of his closest friend as long as the line was strong in both morals and ability."

"You're teasing Usopp?"

"Think of it as a sort of punishment for always lying." They joined the main group of Tontattas, a toy soldier and Franky. They were in the middle of a conference call between the Sunny and Zoro.

Reecheru stood next to Zoro and Kin'emon in front of a floating Fujitora and Doflomingo, mask still in place. "I thought you guys didn't want any attention drawn to you," she teased.

"This is bad Zoro-dono," Kin'emon said. "We can't fulfill our mission if we're caught up in fighting."

"What's going on over there?" Brooke's voice came through the baby snail.

"I won't let them get away," Zoro raised one of his swords.

"WE'VE EVACUATED ALL OF THE CIVILLIANS!" The shout caused Zoro to lower his sword and look. A platoon of Marines were running towards them, guns at the ready. "CATCH RORONOA ZORO!" The Marines then started to open fire.

"They know who we are," Zoro stated. He, Kin'emon and Reecheru were knocking the bullets away from them with the swords and wakizashi.

"It seems like they do," Kin'emon agreed.

"What was your first clue?" Rae asked sarcastically. "The fact they called Zoro's name or that they started firing on us?"

"Let's run for now!" Zoro yelled out over the noise. He pushed Reecheru to run in front of him and the three started to make their way around the Colosseum. The marines naturally started to give chase.

"This is Kin'emon," Kin'emon said into the snail. "Law-dono has been abducted."

"WHAT!" A multitude of voices chorused.

The three in front of the Colosseum increased their speed and put some distance between them and the Marines. They soon ended up back to the their starting point in front of Luffy. Zoro ran up to the window that Luffy was standing next to, out of breath. As he was talking to Luffy Reecheru noticed someone waving at her from an allyway. Reecheru checked to make sure that her exit wasn't noticed and rushed over.

Sabo was waiting in the shadows for her. "I need you to bring me into the Colosseum," he said.

"Here I thought that the Revolutionists had entrances to every building," Rae smirked.

"We do," Sabo agreed. "It would just be faster if you were to help me."

Reecheru let out a sigh and shrugged her shoulders. "What would you do without me?" she smiled. "I'll get you on the inside. Just as soon as the guys move themselves and the marines out of the way." The two in the ally turned and watched the scene unfold. Zoro blew a few of the marines away and the chase began anew with Luffy runny along on the inside. "Let's get you on the inside."

"You sound like a spy."

"That's pretty convenient because that's essentially what I am." Reecheru threw one of her special kunai between the bars of the Colosseum window and one at their feet. "You know the drill."

"No need to remind me," Sabo agreed. He placed a hand on Reecheru's shoulder as she made several hand motions. The two were instantly inside the building. "Let's move out of the way of the oncoming storm. I don't want to be noticed too soon." Sabo moved deeper inside to get a feeling for the area. Rae followed suit, she had a feeling Sabo would have another job for her before long.

The two came to a set of stairs where they could hear the crowd cheering. Sabo let out a small smirk, turned around and headed back the way they had come. Reecheru shook her head and followed after. As they were walking along Sabo glanced at Rae. "You know I don't think that the Hokage wanted you to go around in an Anbu uniform," he said.

"What makes you say that?" Rae asked.

"She wants you and Merissa to make yourselves known," Sabo pointed out. "Going around in that get up isn't exactly making yourselves known, or on friendly terms."

"She gave the message using our code names and ranking it an S class mission," Reecheru pointed out. "Am I just supposed to ignore that and continue to run around in the black and greens or worse yet that dress?"

"I wouldn't mind the dress," Sabo teased. Rae started twirling a kunai in her hand. "I was kidding," he laughed. "And 'no' I don't think she expected you to go in the black and greens either. I'm pretty sure she wanted you two to be comfortable when you do those evil things you do best."

Reecheru opened the closest door to find an empty room. She pulled out a small scroll and looked back at Sabo through the mask. "Then give me just a minute."

When the door closed Sabo rolled his eyes. "Women," he muttered. "They can change their clothes five times in a day and they're still not satisfied."

"I call it," the toy soldier was saying. "Operation Dressrosa SOP!"

"'Standard Operating Procedure'?" Merissa asked.

"That can't be it," Robin whispered to her.

"So what does it stand for?" Franky asked.

Soldier then began a long explanation of the facility under Dressrosa. At odd times Franky would interrupt, trying to figure out what SOP stood for. Once again ignoring him Soldier continued telling them about the tunnel that they had spent a year digging from their base in Flower Hill to there. Franky was still pesturing Soldier to reveal the meaning of SOP to him. Robin turned to Franky at this point and gently told him that was enough. Soldier continued with his speech, as if none of it had happened.

The details of taking out the one that ate the hobby-hobby fruit then started. Soldier began to explain that the success of their operation depended on it. Usopp wanted more details on the person. Whether he or she was pretty powerful. Soldier continued the explanation, answering Usopp's question. He stated that the Doflomingo family member responsible for turning everyone into toys was a girl named Sugar. She may appear young, but the power of the hobby-hobby fruit stops the aging process of the one that ingests it so there's no telling what Sugar's true age is. On top of that, since she is the most imporstant person in Dressrosa she's constantly guarded by the executive Trebol.

"So if we take her out we can return the toys back to normal?" Robin asked.

"That's right," Soldier confirmed.

"Hold on just a minute," Merissa interrupted. "You plan on taking out a kid? What is wrong with you people?"

"It's not so different from what you do Merissa," Robin spoke before anyone else. "You were trained from a very young age to fight and be a ninja. You were going on spy missions and patrols before you were the age of fifteen. You knew how to kill someone even at the age of ten. You knew the hazards of war then and you knew that if you were caught by your enemy at any time that you could die. This isn't so different."

"There is a difference," Merissa argued. "None of the five villages have sent their children to war in generations. It's no longer a common practice."

"But you still knew what could happen if you went to war," Robin pressed.

"Well yes..."

"Then it stands to reason that Sugar, young or not, also understands. She's been working for Doflomingo and going along with his plans all knowing that at any time she could come under attack. Why else would they need to assign a guard to her?"

"Alright fine," Merissa relented. "I'll let this one go. But I'm not going to be on the team that goes to beat up a kid."

"If you're finished," Soldier got everyone's attention. "The mission to knock out Sugar is the most important. Who know's what will happen when we succeed. All the toys will return to normal and all of the memories of the people will return. How will they react to knowledge Doflomingo has been deceiving them these ten years? How will Doflomingo respond to our attack? How will the Navy act in response? The only thing that we can guarantee is that for a brief moment the country will destabilize."

"Where is the hobby-hobby user now?" Usopp asked.

"According to the Tontatta's scouts she's in the underground trade port," Soldier answered.

"So we'll get to her using the underground passage," Robin stated.

"Correct," Soldier nodded. "We'll frighten her out of her wits and make her pass out. And that's SUGAR OVERSURPRISED PANIC! That's what Operation SOP stands for."

"OWE! What a great name for an operation," Franky cheered.

"If it's just a girl I can handle it," Usopp made a pose. Merissa reached out and poked him in the ribs. Usopp crumbled in on himself and started laughing. The Tontattas started laughing along with him, thanking him for making them less nervous before the operation starts. Franky then made a show of changing his hair. The Tontattas continued to cheer for them and claim how dependable they were. Usopp leapt back to his feet and continued with his boastful lying.

As the two posed for the Tontattas, who kept cheering them on, Robin and Merissa looked at the whole affair with no emotion. Franky was always over the top and Usopp with his lies was bound to get them all in trouble in some way.

Luffy split off from Zoro and Kin'emon to try and find an exit. The two swordsmen held their ground as they waited. "There's something that's troubling me," Kin'emon stated. "Where has the lovely kunoichi gone?"

"You've just noticed that?" Zoro charged. "She broke off from the fighting almost right from the start. We were too busy with the Marines for me to say anything. I have no idea what could be so important that she would ditch us in the middle of a battle."

Reecheru didn't take long to change her clothes. Now she was wearing what she wore back in her village. Her left hand was covered in a fingerless fishnet glove while her right remained bare. She wore a pale lavender wrap around jacket that had a 3/4 sleeve on her right arm and no sleeve on her left. The zipper was up to just under her collar bone. The jacket folded out in the back for the hoody to rest easily against her shoulders. An orange belt was tied off on her left hip. She wore deep violet shorts that stopped at mid thigh. On her left leg was a boot that went all the way up to just below her shorts. Her right leg had a boot that stopped at her ankle. The entire outfit was decorated with various pockets and pouches, no doubt holding some weapons and scrolls.

Reecheru left her hair down. It surrounded her neck in a multitude of blonde curls. A portion of it come to pass just to the right of her right eye. The rest was tame enough to stay out of her face. Her hitai-ate was tied around her neck in the traditional manner of the women in her clan.

"Now that looks more like it," Sabo grinned. "Nothing says 'I'll kill you' quite like a ninja with her own sense of style."

Rae rolled her eyes, but she still had a pleased smirk. "Are you going to tell me what else you need help with or are you going to make me guess."

"We're not far from who I have to meet," Sabo said. "Wait here while I go around the corner and meet with him. I'll call you when it's time to make your entrance." He walked around the corner and started to approach a group of men. Reecheru looked and noticed that one of them was Luffy. She ducked her head back to keep from being noticed and just listened.

"I won't let you have the Flare-Flare Fruit," Sabo said as a way of greeting. "'Straw Hat Luffy'." Rae did a quiet facepalm. 'You idiot,' she thought. 'That's not how you greet your brother after so many years.'

"What did you say?" A gruff voice demanded. "Hey! Hey! You! You can't just talk to Luffy-senpai like that." The voice continued to brag about Luffy and his relationship to Ace, but Rae was tuning him out at this point.

"I've known that from way back," Sabo said. Rae then heard the sound of a body crashing into a stack of wooden boxes. She could only assume that Sabo had knocked the owner of the offending voice out of his way.

"What's wrong with you?" Luffy demanded. "You can't just show up and tell me I can't have the fruit."

Reecheru took that moment to look around the corner again. Luffy and Sabo were engaged in a conversaton. Off to the left side of the hall was a man wearing a plum colored coat sprawled out among a pile of brooken wood. 'He must be the one that Sabo pushed,' she thought. Using the distraction that Sabo was causing Luffy, Rae approached the man unseen.

"What's with that guy?" he muttered to himself.

"Don't mind him," Rae said. She knelt down and helped the man to his feet. "He's just really excited to finally be seeing Luffy after so many years. They hadn't been together since they were kids after all."

"You mean that man knew Luffy-senpai as a kid?"

Reecheru put a hand to her lips. "It's time for you to be quiet now," she ordered. The man started sweating a little. Despite the smile that she wore he had no doubt she would have no trouble releaving him of his liver.

"Y-you are..." Luffy started to choke out.

"It's been a while," Sabo smiled. Tears started welling up in Luffy's eyes. "Luffy!" That one word caused the dam to break. Luffy started crying rivers and chanting about how he had thought he died.

"I don't understand," plum man stated.

"You're name is?" Rae asked him.

"Bortolomeo."

"Well, Borto, that man is named Sabo. He and Fire Fist Ace were both brothers to Luffy when they were kids." Reecheru let that information sink in for a minute.

Bortolomeo threw his hands in the air and shouted, "What!?"

Rae stuck a finger in her ear, as if she was cleaning it out. "No need to be so melodramatic," she chastised. "You heard me, I didn't studder. Those men share a bond that runs so deep not even the government could snuff it out. Now Sabo is in a position where he can let Luffy know he's alive and can help him whenever he needs it."

"Calm down Luffy," Sabo sniffled. "This is no time for crying."

"I'M SO HAPPY!" Luffy cried out. "I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD DIED! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"I've been growing stronger," Sabo said. "I'm here to help you get out of the Colosseum and help your friends. At the same time, will you allow me to inherit Ace's will and eat the Flare-Flare Fruit?"

Luffy started to violently nod his head up and down. "IT'S YOURS," he cried.

Sabo put a hand on Luffy's shoulder and looked behind to Reecheru. "I suppose that now is a good time to explain a few things."

"Rae?" Luffy said between sniffles. "What are you doing here?"

"Sabo used to be a part of my team," Reecheru smiled. "Remember what Merissa and I said about our village? Sabo was the third member of our squad. He trained with us for two years before going back to the Revolutionaries. From there, Merissa and joined him as liasons for our village and gathered intel on the government. We've received a new mission that's going to take Merissa and I away from the Revolutionists so Sabo asked me for one last favor. I got him in the Colosseum."

"My last favor is for you to get Luffy out to his friends," Sabo said. He started taking some of the extra gear off of Luffy. "I'll go in your disguise so no one will be able to tell the difference until it's too late."

"Right," Luffy continued to cry. "But Rae, how are you going to get us out?"

"I got Sabo and I in," she smiled. "Getting out is no different. First we need to get to a window."

"You'll need some disguises as you go through town," Sabo advised. "I left some costumes for you and your two friends in the ally across from the Colosseum's entrance."

"What about Rae's disguise?"

"I can handle that on my own," Reecheru smiled. "Don't you worry about that."

"You two should get going before anyone comes around," Sabo advised. "I'll make sure that no one notices you're missing."

Reecheru began to run off, but Luffy had to bid Sabo one last farewell before he left as well. Bellamy followed after in curiosity. The two were then rushing to the outer wall of the Colosseum. Once they were there Reecheru threw a kunai at their feet. "Put your hand on my shoulder and don't let go," she advised. Luffy did as she said and a few hand gestures and they were in the ally. "These must be the costumes that Sabo was talking about." There was a box of some oversized costumes there. One was a carp, one a samauri cat and another was a frog.

Luffy was immediately putting on the carp. Reecheru looked towards the Colosseum. Zoro and Kin'emon had beaten the marines that had approached them, but from the sounds of it more were coming. "HEY GUYS!" she called and waved. "We've got some disguises for you." She ducked back in when the two started heading their way.

"What are you doing over here?" Zoro asked. "We have to wait for Luffy." Luffy in the fish turned around and faced them.

"Luffy-dono!" Kin'emon stood there in shock. "How did you get out of the Colosseum and way over here? Why are you crying?"

"That would be my doing," Rae said. "Not the crying bit, but the location. Right now though we need to get going. I'll explain things on the way." She made a beckoning gesture to the Colosseum and a knife came flying at her. She caught it deftly and put it in her weapons pouch.

"Bellamy must have given that back to you," Luffy stated between his tears.

"If that's what his name was," Rae agreed. She made a few hand gestures. "Dopplerganger Jutsu!" A puff of smoke and a female puppet stood in front of them. "This will help us get through the city easier."

"Do we really have to wear these weird things?" Zoro asked. He was holding the cat suit out at arms length.

"I think it suits you Zoro-dono," Kin'emon said. He was already half-way into his own frog suit. "It's a perfect disguise to get past the Marines. They will simply think of us just another group of toys." Zoro made a sour face as he put on the suit.

The group of four then started running down the street towards the palace. Luffy's crying hadn't subsided in the least. "You've finally made it out so why are you still crying?" Zoro snapped at him.

The four passed a group of Marines. "You've lost sight of Pirate Hunter?" "After I told you repeatedly to keep your eyes open?" "Inform the Vice Admiral Immediately!"

"It is as I thought," Kin'emon stated. "With these costumes provided by kunoichi-dono the Marines believe that we're just toys."

"I didn't get them," Reecheru argued. "I told you that a friend of mine had them waiting for you to use."

"They're just barely believing," Zoro stated. "You've never said who this friend was that gave us such strange costumes."

"Strange?" Kin'emon looked down at himself. "I thought that they were _kewl_. Especially the carp."

"Never mind," Zoro's voice sounded like he was rolling his eyes. Over their conversation you could still hear Luffy crying. "Stop crying already! I thought you wanted to save Tra-guy!" Zoro reached up and smacked Luffy in the head.

"I'll save Tra-guy!" Luffy cried. His face popped out of the fishes mouth, wet with tears. "And I'll kick Mingo's ass! Plus the Flare-Flare Fruit is in good hands!"

"In good hands?" Zoro asked.

"Give him a minute Kitty-chan," Rae teased.

"What did you call me?"

"Gubby-chan just had a major emotional shock," Rae's innocent smile could be seen on her puppet face. "It'll take him a minute to relax and stop crying. When he's ready I'm sure he'll tell you everything."

"You seem to know," Zoro pointed out. "So why don't you tell me?"

"I'll tell you my relationship with this person," Rae relented. "As for Luffy, that's his story to tell. The person that Luffy intrusted the Flare-Flare Fruit to is mine and Merissa's third squad member. We've talked about him before."

"You mean the Chief of Staff for the Revolutionists?" Kin'emon whispered.

"That's right," Reecheru agreed. "That's all I can tell you right now. Luffy will have to fill you in on the rest once he catches his breath."

"I thought he died," Luffy was muttering. "I thought he died...in that moment."


	17. To the Palace

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Sixteen: To the Palace

The four humans disguised as toys continued to run through the city. Luffy's outright bawling had been reduced to gulps of air as he tried to stop. His crying nearly started again when Zoro hit him upside the head another time. "Are you still crying?" Zoro demanded. Luffy mumbled one word and then the crying started.

"I've never seen Luffy-dono crying like that?" Kin'emon stated.

"Just how long have you known Luffy?" Reecheru asked. "The wanted posters for the Straw Hats make no mention of you."

"I've known Luffy-dono for a whole half a day longer than you."

"Idiot," Rae muttered. "You can't say that you've never seen somoene cry like that when you hardly know them."

"What would a woman know about the bonding of men?"

Reecheru fell a little behind the running men, an evil glint in her eye. The glint turned into a satisfied smirk when Kin'emon jumped twenty feet in the air, holding his behind and screaming in pain. She was twirling a kunai in her hand absently. "What's the matter?" she asked sweetly. Their entire exchange was ignored by Zoro and Luffy as Zoro kept trying to pump Luffy for information.

"I'm asking you who that person was to you?" Zoro pressed.

"My big brother," Luffy sniffled out.

"Big brother!?" Zoro asked in shock.

"I didn't know that Luffy-dono had a big brother," Kin'emon put in.

"I thought your brother was 'Fire Fist' Ace," Zoro ignored him. "Are you saying that he's alive?" He chose to ignore the snickering coming from Rae.

"It brings back memories," Luffy said dreamily.

"I'm asking you a question," Zoro snapped. He lost Luffy at that point.

Luffy was now lost in his day dream. "Ace was right. We were always bonded together as brothers!"

A vein was nearly busting out of Zoro's head. "I asked 'who that is'!?" Reecheru could no longer contain her laughter at Luffy's evasiveness.

The Tontatta army started making their way through the passage to the underground trade port. Usopp walked up to the hatch. "It's so narrow," he commented. "Almost too narrow for Robiland, Meriland and I."

"What about me?" Franky asked.

"Fraland?" Usopp turned back to him. "Maybe you can take off your shoulders and arms." Franky started yelling at Usopp almost instantly.

"You can enter from the toy house," Soldier suggested. He then explained to the three humans and one cyborg what the toy house was and what purpose it served. "But all the entrances are heavily guarded."

"That's perfect then," Franky gave a 'thumb's up'. "If I have to go through there anyway I'll make sure to create as much havoc as possible."

"Why would you want to do that?" Leo asked.

"It'll make things easier for the rest of you," Franky said. "With me drawing all of their attention that will give you guys more time to take out Sugar." Franky turned and ran out of the hide-out without another word.

"I'm going with him," Merissa stated. She started chasing after Franky.

"Why are you going too?" Soldier asked.

"Someone has to keep him from causing too much collateral damage," Merissa smiled. "Plus it gives me an opportuntiy to look for my partner. I could seriously use a change of clothes right about now." She left the base without another word.

It didn't take long to catch up to Franky. He was facing off against a squad of Doflamingo's minions along with what Merissa believed to be one of their executive officers. She noticed the half dressed women that were hanging off of the man's arms. Although she would hardly call him a man, what with him being dressed like a baby and all.

"I'll take care of this entrance," Franky told Merissa. "How about you look for another one and start causing trouble over there as well?"

"I guess I could do something if I get tired looking for Reecheru," Merissa smirked. She darted down another street. "Don't go getting yourself killed!"

"OWE! Right back at ya!"

Reecheru was running on the left side of Kin'emon when she noticed that Zoro took a turn down a side street. She stopped in her tracks and followed after him. As she ran to catch up she dropped her disguise. Now that they were away from the Marines and the fact that she wasn't a wanted criminal it didn't matter if she was in disguise or not. She placed a dark pair of sunglasses over her eyes. "Glad to have these back," she muttered to herself.

"Why did you make a turn when the others didn't?" One of Reeceru's eyebrows rose at the sound of a tiny voice coming from Zoro. She was catching up now that Zoro was slowing down to a walk and eventually stopped.

She was just about to call out to him when someone asked what kind of toy he was. A group of young boys pounced on Zoro and started climbing all over him. Rae was laughing and enjoying the show until one of the boys noticed the swords on Zoro's hip. "This won't end well," she cursed.

Before Reecheru could catch up and stop the boys Zoro lightly pushed one them away from his swords. Like a spoiled brat he started crying and saying that the toy hit him. The humans that were in the area started pointing and calling for the police. Reecheru rushed up and grabbed Zoro's arm. "There you are you naughty toy! How many times do I have to tell you not to wonder off?" She grabbed a hold of Zoro's arm and started to drag him away.

"Wait a second miss," someone shouted. "Don't go near that toy! He's very dangerous."

"Damnit," Zoro swore. "I just gave him a little push."

"Didn't I warn you?" the little voice asked. "You really are a blockhead."

Zoro took hold of Reecheru's hand and started running. "Thank you very much!" he yelled out.

"HEY! That toy is kidnapping that poor woman!" Two police were suddenly chasing after them. They were yelling at them to stop.

"How do you always get into these situations?" Rae asked. She had a smile on her face, clearly enjoying the adrenaline rush. With a growl, Zoro pulled her closer and wrapped one hand around her waist then jumped. In mid jump he drew a sword and cut through one of the city's overpasses. He continued to leap over it as the structure collapsed and cut of the police. "It's never a dull moment with you," Rae kept on with a grin. She kept up with Zoro once he let her go. "One has to wonder since this is a normal occurance what you would do when you took her on a date." Zoro tripped over his own feet at that. He ended up face planting the concrete. Before he hit the ground a little blue haired person jumped onto Reecheru's shoulder as she came to a stop.

Reecheru stared at the little person for a moment. "Are you trying to kill me?!" the person demanded. "Maybe I should stay with this big person instead of you."

"I don't mind," Reecheru answered. "But you might not like it so much. My pockets are kind of full of knives and other weapons." As Zoro stood to his feet the little person jumped back over to him and hid in the fur of his costume once more. When he looked at Rae he sweatdropped at the gleam in her eye. "I didn't know that little women were your type. I guess I never stood a chance."

"Shut up!"

"Hey," the little person called. "Are you blushing?" She then poked her head out of the fur and looked up at Zoro then back to Reecheru.

"NO! It's just really hot in this suit."

"But your face wasn't red when we were running."

"Shut up!"

Zoro took off in a run again and Reecheru laughed as she made to catch up to him. They came out of an ally and looked around. "Guppy-chan! Tadpole-chan!" Reecheru noticed a familiar fish and frog. She and Zoro caught up to Luffy and Kin'emon.

"Oh Rae! Zoro!" Luffy looked towards them with a grin. "OOOOHHHH! Zoro you have a little person with you." Luffy had stars in his eyes as he looked at the little female peeking out of Zoro's fur.

"I'm going to lead you to the palace," she said.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked.

"Zoro-dono, kunoichi-dono, is this a friend of yours?" Kin'emon asked.

"She might be a friend or," Zoro started.

"My name is Wicka," she said. "I'm a member of the King Riku Army's Scouting Unit. We need to hurry, the operation is already underway."

Merissa was making her way through the town. There was talk all around about how a toy had gone rogue and kidnapped a helpless woman. "I wonder if that toy was one of the agents in the King Riku Army," Merissa mused. "It wouldn't surprise me any. It seems like they have people, or toys, everywhere. If that's the case then that woman was most likely a member of the Doflamingo Family. It looks like things are coming to a head. I should find Reecheru as soon as possible. The sooner we can get away from this crazy town the better. From the looks of things, shit is about to hit the fan."

Reecheru kept up with the three men wearing the demented toy costumes. They were currently climbing up the stairs that would take them to the palace. Wicka had moved from hiding in Zoro's fur to sitting on his upward palm. Reecheru smiled at the sight, he was being extremely careful not to hurt her. "What are you smirking at?" he snapped.

"Nothing," Reecheru's smile grew wider. "Just a big tender hearted softy."

"There's a lift up there," Wicka's directions interrupted whatever Zoro was preparing to snap back at Reecheru with. She turned to face Zoro then. "Listen all of you. The palace where Doflomingo is and the toy house and the trade port where the S.M.I.L.E factory is located are all connected."

"You mean," Kin'emon spoke up. "If we can get to the palace we can get to the toy house and factory?"

"That's right!" Wicka cheered. She was grateful that one of the men were listening to her directions. The other two men she wasn't so sure about. She was hoping that the woman, Reecheru, would at least help her to keep them on course. "To get to the factory you have to pass through either the toy house or the palace."

"That sounds rather complex," Reecheru commented. "I'm sure that it was all done deliberately. Doflamingo wouldn't leave his greatest asset out in the open where anyone can see it. Especially since he's making something dangerous and illegal."

"It's not just that," Wicka explained. "We've already told the blockheaded swordsman..."

"Oi!" Zoro snapped.

"But Doflamingo is using the Tontatta people as slaves in the factory." Wicka finished her sentence without giving Zoro a glance. "By now my colleagues must have snuck into the trade port using the secret passage we dug out. They plan to knock out a member of the Doflamingo Family, Sugar. It's all a part of the plan to free our people and rescue our captured princess. But we need to head through the palace first."

"Understood," Kin'emon announced. He then leaned across Reecheru to get closer to Wicka who was still being held by Zoro. "Still, I can't believe that there are such little people even though there's one standing in front of me now."

"Stay in your personal bubble," Reecheru snapped. She smacked Kin'emon on the back of his head. The frog jumped back and stumbled, falling a little behind the others. "I don't mind you wanting to get a little closer to our guide, but you lean across me like that again and I'll make sure that there are two of you to find your friend. Do you get me?"

Kin'emon caught up while rubbing the back of his head. "There's something that I don't understand," he mumbled. "How come you're so violent when I get close to you, but when Zoro pulls you to his side you're nice to him?"

"The answer is simple," Reecheru stated matter-of-factly. "Zoro isn't a pervent." Luffy started laughing at the stuttering Kin'emon.

Once his laughter calmed down, Luffy leaned in to get a closer look at Wicka himself. "Doesn't she look just like a toy?" he asked. "Isn't she interesting?"

"There's a ton of them," Zoro finally spoke.

"That's so great," Luffy cheered. "Let me meet all of them later!"

"We don't do this often you know," Wicka corrected. "We don't show ourselves to the big people except for the royal family. You Usalanders, or Straw Hats, are an exception."

"Usalanders?" Kin'emon asked in a confused voice.

"I'll explain later," Wicka dodged. "Right now we need to hurry. Operation S.O.P is already underway. Look, there it is." Wicka pointed to straight ahead of them. "That's the lift that will take us to the palace."

"Woooo!" Luffy called out. "We can go that high with that thing?"

"When we get to the lift we have to show the guards a pass," Wicka explained.

"Do you happen to have a pass on you?" Reecheru asked. "Because I left mine in my other boots."

"Don't worry about it Rae," Luffy smiled. "We'll just kick their ass."

"NO!" Wicka jumped from Zoro's hand over to Luffy's. Luffy held her so that they were staring each other in the eye. "If you do that we'll have a big mess on our hands. Then more enemies will show up."

"What's bad about that?" Luffy genuinely asked. Reecheru started laughing at Luffy's thick headedness.

"YOU BUBBLEHEAD!" Wicka started shaking her fist at Luffy.

"Awe, you made her mad Guppy-chan," Rae teased. "You should be careful, a woman scorned, even a small one, is a terribly dreadful thing."

"I'm not sure about these people," Wicka lamented. "On top of the blockhead who gets lost easily I now have to deal with a witless bubblehead."

"Who did you call a blockhead!?" Zoro demanded.

"I find it funny," Reecheru said to herself. She was talking loud enough that all of the men could hear her. "The fact that you understood who she meant when she said that she was with an easily lost blockhead indicates that you admit you get lost." Zoro turned his head to look at her. "Are you scowling or smiling at me?" Reecheru put on an innocent smile as she teased him. "I can't really tell with the stupid happy cat face."

A woman riding a toy horse was suddenly blocking their path. "Who is that?" Luffy asked.

Wicka whipped around to see who he was talking about. "They already know that we're here?" she asked. She quickly dove back to hide in Zoro's fur.

"She must really like you," Rae teased again. "It's always your soft fur she chooses to hide out in."

"Will you quit that woman?" Zoro responded. "I have no interest in weak women. OW!"

Rae tried hard to supress her laughter. "You shouldn't insult a woman when she's so close to your heart."

When the group got closer to the woman blocking their path they slowed to a stop. She was wearing a cloak and hood to hide her features. "Who are you?" Luffy spoke first. Zoro's left hand crossed over to one of the swords at his side.

"You're Straw Hat Luffy, aren't you?" The strange woman responded with a question of her own.

"That's right," Luffy confirmed her question. "I am."

"Don't answer her," Rae moaned with her hand to her forehead. At the same time Zoro and Kin'emon snapped at him to shut up.

"I've been waiting for you," the woman continued. She lowered the hood off of her face. She revealed long, black hair that was pulled back with a red rose pinned to the side. She had deep burgandy eyes. "I'm going to help you get into the palace."

All the men snapped in shock with a sound of surprise. Wicka took it a step further and shouted, "WHAT!?" Reecheru put a finger to her ear and rubbed, trying to get the ringing to stop. She snapped out of it when she felt a hand gently grab her arm. The woman was pulling her to a side ally, expecting the others to follow them. Not sensing any ill intent, Reecheru allowed the strange woman to lead her around the corner.

Once everyone was in hiding the questioning began. "It's great that you're going to help us get into the palace and all," Zoro started. "But..."

"We just learned that we need a pass to go further," Kin'emon finished.

The woman peeked her head around the corner of the building to look at the guards in front of the lift. "I have a pass to the lift," she said. Kin'emon got really excited and started to talk. The woman interrupted him before he could say too much. "You shouldn't take the lift." She looked pointedly at the talking frog.

Kin'emon instantly deflated in depression. "What? Why?"

The woman turned back to gaze up at the lift. "It's true that it does take you to the entrance of the palace," she informed. "But if they find out who all of you are then it's all over."

"That's why I said we should kick all of the guards asses," Luffy snapped.

This time it was Reecheru who hit Luffy over the head. "That won't help with anything," Zoro added. "They'll only stop us at some point."

Understanding dawned on Luffy's face. "Oh yeah," he said. "I guess you're right about that."

The woman looked at Luffy and then sighed. "More importantly," she started. All of the men stood at attention to listen to her more closely. "The three of you look too strange."

"No we don't," Kin'emon denied.

"Now I remember," Zoro straightened out. "You're the one that took our chef earlier."

"Sanji?" Luffy asked for clarification.

"That's an interesting subject," Rae cut in. She sidled up to the woman and stared her down. "Exactly what were the two of you doing in that warehouse?"

"You were there?" the woman blinked at Reecheru in shock.

"After a fashion," Rae answered. "I watched those goons try and ambush him. I was about to come in and discover what was going on when the two of you came running out. I went into the warehouse and the goons were all on the floor in various stanges of pain. It was obvious that Sanji took out some of them. Others, they were comatose without a single wound on them. I have to wonder just what kind of fighting skills you employ. I've only seen one other technique that can do something similar. I'm not very comfortable with the implications of that."

"It's a little complicated about what happened in the warehouse," the woman said. "He went off to save your ship."

"We know all that happened," Zoro said. "You're the one that told him the Sunny was in danger."

"Then that means," Kin'emon cut in. "You're the one that gave Sanji the map to the toy house that he gave us."

"That's right." Reecheru narrowed her eyes at the woman and stepped back. Her hand was slowly reaching towards her pouch on her leg.

"Why did you have it?" Kin'emon densely asked.

"I was Doflamingo's subordinate," the woman answered. She stood tall and braced herself for whatever the group would throw at her.

"You were?" Luffy asked.

"Figured as much," Rae hissed.

Before Reecheru could pull out a weapon Wicka jumped onto her shoulder. "She was just pretending to work for him," she cried out. She was clutching onto Rae's sleeve in an attempt to stop her from following through with any attack.

Zoro carefully picked Wicka up from her place on Rae's shoulder and held her up. His other hand rested on Rae's shoulder where Wicka had been. It was his silent way of telling her to wait and see how things played out.

"Wicka," the woman cried happily.

"Huh?" Wicka looked thunderstruck. "You remember me?"

"Did you forget about my ability?" the woman cheerfully asked. "I've been watching all of you. I've also been watching that one-legged soldier who raised Rebecca after my sister died. I've seen that you've been preparing to rebel against the Family. I've been watching all of you. Thank you for believing in my father."

Wicka then started to cry uncontrollably. "Viola-sama!" Wicka jumped over to Viola and hugged her neck.

Merissa stopped running through the streets. "This is getting me nowhere," she fumed. "I won't find Reecheru if I just run around randomly. Not to mention that Franky is expecting me to give them a hand with a toy house entrance. I either need to give up on my search for Rae and go to the toy house or speed up the search. Since I don't like the idea of wearing these clothes longer than I have to..." Merissa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. As she exhaled she opened her eyes again.

Normally hazel eyes had turned to blood red with a single black mark that resembled a semi-colon off to the side. She had no pupils in them. Merissa then leapt to the roof of the closest building. Once on top she started to scan the city. She had turned 240 degrees before finding what she was looking for. Merissa closed her eyes once again. When they opened they were back to normal. She then started jumping from roof to roof as fast as she could to reach her target.

Merissa was getting closer when she heard a familiar voice yelling out. "WHAT!? YOU WERE A PRINCESS!?" She then heard something that sounded suspiciously like something or someone being hit really hard. She then heard a gruff voice speak more quietly. She couldn't quite make out what was said, but she knew that was Zoro. Then she heard Kin'emon say something.

Merissa leapt up to the platform where she could hear the voices coming from. She landed behind Reecheru and a group of three animals. In front of them was a woman in a cloak running her hand along the wall. "I used to be," the woman said.

"Rebecca is the king's granddaughter," Luffy's voice pointed out. "So then you're her mother!?"

"Rebecca is my niece," the woman corrected. She pushed a hidden switch in the wall at that moment. A portion of the wall lowered and made a type of bridge. "She's my sister Scarlet's daughter." The woman turned and looked at the group. She froze and her eyes widened in fear when she caught sight of Merissa.

The three animals cocked their heads at Viola in confusion. "Don't mind her," Reecheru said with a smirk. "She's not here to blow our cover." Rae turned around slowly and faced Merissa. She looked at Merissa's purple and cream colored outfit. One of her eyebrows raised.

"Don't you dare," Merissa threatened.

Rae crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "You know better than to say stuff like that," she said. "Obviously I'm going to take the dare. I just have one question for you. What's the going rate?"

Merissa slapped a hand to her forehead. "I knew you would say something like that."

"Then why didn't you just steal someone's clothes off a line before coming here or something?" Rae asked. She was digging in one of her pockets at this point.

Merissa blinked owlishly at her friend. "I didn't think about that."

"Is that Merissa?" Luffy's voice asked. The red and black fish turned and looked. Merissa noticed that Luffy's face was practically coming out of the thing's mouth. "Why are you wearing Nami's clothes?"

"Because if I didn't Rae would have killed me," Merissa pointed out. When Reecheru looked like she was going to say something Merissa held up a hand. "It's better if you don't ask," she said. "Just take me at my word for it. Now, do you have my gear and new orders or not?"

Reecheru tossed Merissa several scrolls. "We did get new orders from Hokage-sama," Rae answered. "However, Koala took the tone dial it was recorded on with her to leave as bait for the World Government. In a nutshell, we're no longer to work as agents for the Revolutionary Army. Now our standing orders are to make as much hell for the World Government as we possibly can."

"I don't see anything wrong with that," Merissa shrugged. "Did Koala leave us a ship to travel around with? It'll be hard to get around without one."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy demanded. "You already have a ship to sail around with."

Reecheru turned her head to look at him while Merissa looked on in terror. "No you don't," she snapped. "If our Hokage has ordered us to go and raise hell for the Government then we can't be members of your crew. We have our own mission to complete."

"What are you talking about?" Rae asked.

Luffy got in front of Reecheru and moved her so that her back was pressed up against the cat suit Zoro was wearing. "You're both Nakama," Luffy ordered. "That means that you help us on our adventures and we help you. You live with us on the Sunny now."

"You're behaving like a child," Merissa snapped. She stormed over to the group and went to grab Rae. Zoro was about to move her out of the way when Rae did it on her own.

"All of you are behaving like children," Rae chastised. "First of all, Merissa, I didn't exactly finish telling you our orders. Second of all, Luffy you can't just order someone to be your Nakama. You have to ask them if you want them to join you."

"I don't want to," Luffy pouted.

"Just do it," Zoro snapped.

"Fine," Luffy let out a heavy sigh. "Will you two be our Nakama?"

"No," Merissa snapped.

"Yes," Reecheru answered at the same time.

"So which is it?" Kin'emon asked.

"What did you just say?" Merissa demanded. "Rae, we can't join them. We have to follow the orders of the Hokage."

"We'll be doing just that," Reecheru answered. "Our standing orders are to go on an S-class Anbu mission to give the World Government as much grief as possible. In the process we are to not only make them aware of the fact of our village and that they're outside of the Government's control, we're also supposed to do so as we travel along with the Straw Hat Pirates since they seem to have a knack for getting under the Government's skin."

"You bet we do," Luffy grinned. He was more than happy because he was getting exactly what he wanted.

"You can change into your gear," Reecheru ignored him. "We're on our way to the palace to save Law and to find the S.M.I.L.E factory."

"So Law went and got himself in a situation where he needs rescuing?" Merissa asked. "Oh, I'm not going to let him live this one down. The guy is so full of himself that it'll be nice to bring him down a notch or two."

"If you two are done," Kin'emon interrupted. "We have a secret door to go through."

Both Merissa and Reecheru glared at the man. He shrunk to hide behind Zoro. "Don't you have a backbone?" Zoro asked. He moved so that he wasn't caught in the crossfire of whatever wrath Kin'emon had earned himself.

"He is right though," Viola timidly spoke. She really didn't want to be on the receiving end of the anger of those two women. However, time was of the essence and they needed to hurry. "The longer we stand around the greater our chances of getting caught."

"That's fine," Luffy said with a grin. "We'll just beat everyone's ass." Zoro hit Luffy on the back of the head, again. "We should hurry into the mystery door."

"I'll go ahead with these guys," Reecheru told Merissa. "What do you plan on doing? Coming with us or do you have something else in mind?"

"Franky is distracting a number of the executives at one of the toy house entrances," Merissa informed. "I'm going to go and back him up in a way. By causing a little trouble at another entrance it will only add to the confusion. Especially if there are two Franky's causing trouble."

Reecheru let out a little smirk. "Then I'll see you when I see you," she said. Merissa then left the same way she came. Reecheru turned to follow Viola into the passage.

"What did she mean by two Frankys?" Luffy asked. "There's only one Franky and he's super awesome."

"It'll be Merissa doing the attacking," Reecheru answered. "She'll just be in a disguise to look like Franky, much the same as I did earlier to look like a puppet."

"You mean you can look like other people?" Zoro asked.

Reecheru did a few hand gestures. She disappeared in a puff of smoke. When it cleared a second Viola was standing in front of them. "I'm a trained Ninja," Reecheru answered. "This is a simple genjutsu to trick the senses of the enemy." She made a single gesture and Reecheru was once again standing in front of them. Zoro and Kin'emon nodded their heads in understanding. Viola was looking at Reecheru in a new light. Luffy had stars in his eyes once again.

"Don't we have a palace to invade?" Reecheru asked with a smirk. That seemed to snap them all out of it and they entered the secret passage with Viola leading the way.

Viola walked down a set of stairs into a circular room that's roof reached all the way to the top of the plateau. Luffy looked around the room in wonder. "This is an emergency route used by the Riku family," Viola explained. "Not even Doflamingo knows that it's here."

Reecheru followed after her calmly. The three men were slightly less careful in their walking and kicked up a lot of dust. Kin'emon began coughing and approached the center of the room. "What is this big basket for?" he asked.

"It's a pully system to lift heavy loads," Viola answered. "Look." She directed her gaze up and the others followed. A chain system went all the way to the top and attached to the ceiling far above.

"It goes all the way to the top," Zoro commented.

"There's a staircase too," Kin'emon added.

"If you climb the stairs it will take you all the way to the tower ramparts where the entrance to the palace is," Viola announced.

"That's pretty convenient in a way," Reecheru said. "But it's also a hindrance. How far up does this go? Will we make it in time to help in the operations if we take the slow way and climb the stairs?"

A large, square stone sat not too far away from the basket. Zoro approached it and gave it a tap to test it's strength. "Luffy," Zoro called out. "Why don't you take this boulder and go to the top?"

"That's a great idea," Kin'emon said from his perch on the boulder.

"How did you get up there so fast?" Reecheru asked him.

Kin'emon ignored her and started to explain to Luffy why it was a good idea. "If you take the boulder to the top, grab the chains and come down we can go up."

"It's impossible," Viola pointed out.

Without giving an answer, Luffy wrapped one of his arms around the boulder. He used his other arm and stretched it to the ceiling far above. As he did this the others moved to climb into the basket. As Reecheru got to it she felt hands on her waist. She looked back to see Zoro's cat suit behind her. He quickly lifted her into the basket and followed suit. Kin'emon wasn't far behind. "I could have gotten in on my own," Reecheru pointed out to Zoro.

"I didn't hear you complain about it," Kin'emon stated. He wasn't teasing, he didn't know how to. But the comment felt like it to Reecheru and she blushed. She refused to deny it though, lying wasn't something she did to friends.

As this was going on, Luffy started to climb up the wall. Viola stood there in shock that Luffy was capable of pulling it off. "Hurry up Luffy," Zoro's call broke Viola out of her trance.

"You better get in now kunoichi," Kin'emon waved at Viola.

Viola stared at them in wonder. "What?"


	18. Through the Ramparts

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Seventeen: Through the Ramparts

Viola was still in stunned silence at the behavior of the group that she was leading into the palace. Without giving her a warning, Reecheru reached over the basket and pulled her in. "Please excuse the rough treatment," she said. "I haven't been with the Straw Hats long, but I know enough to realize Luffy isn't going to wait around for long if at all. You don't have time to make up your mind." Just as Viola was getting settled into the basket Luffy reached the top. He grabbed onto the chains with the hand he had held onto the roof with. The weight of himself with the boulder lifted the basket up quickly.

"We best be prepared to jump," Kin'emon stated. He picked Viola up as the top of the stairs came into view. "Here we go!" He leapt over the space and landed safely. Rae had landed next to them with Zoro on her other side. The four watched as the basket slammed into the ceiling above.

"He's too reckless," Zoro growled. "If we hadn't jumped that would be us."

"Now there's a thought," Reecheru smirked. "Human pancakes with a side of fur?"

"Please don't joke like that," Viola pleaded. "That would have been horrible."

"It's a good thing the frog told us to jump," Wicka added.

"We would have jumped anyway," Zoro corrected. Reecheru nodded her head in agreement.

Viola walked over to the wall, choosing to let the matter go. Behind her, a hand grabbed onto the ledge. A few seconds later Luffy came soaring over and landed with the rest of them. He was grinning while rolling his shoulders free of any kinks. "This is the way to the entrance," Viola whispered. She pointed to a nearly invisible door in the wall. "The switch is right there." She then pointed to another indentation in the wall that had the appearance of a button.

"Just a moment kunoichi," Kin'emon came up. "We should make sure that the way is clear. We wouldn't want you to blow your cover."

"You do realize that just because she knows about a secret entrance doesn't make her a ninja, right?" Reecheru was crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Kin'emon. She found it slightly insulting that he was putting both women on the same level when clearly they had very different fighting skills and styles. It was more than obvious that Viola didn't know much about ninjutsu. Her fighting skills were most likely good, but it was doubtful that they were on par with a ninja.

Kin'emon ignored Rae as he and Zoro went up to the door. The two of them lowered the exit just enough for them to take a look outside. "The coast is clear," Kin'emon announced. The two of them then lowered the portion of the wall the rest of the way. Viola was right behind them with Reecheru next and Luffy bringing up the rear.

Zoro and Kin'emon started to move across the grass. "We made it," Luffy said. His voice was surprisingly subdued. Perhaps it was because he finally realized the importance of the mission. He started to move past Viola and Reecheru. Reecheru scanned the surrounding area, staying close to Viola to act as a shield if needed.

"Wait a moment," Viola called out to them. Luffy stopped and turned back to look at her. Reecheru was also looking at her. She was wondering what could have possibly gone wrong at this point. "Could you close the door?" Rae almost smacked her forehead at the request. She had thought that something had gone wrong. Luffy, not thinking anything of it, closed the door as asked.

The three men went to one of the watch towers and peeked around the corner. Reecheru was getting annoyed with their carefree behavior. She was watching the top of the tower to make sure they weren't spotted. "I suppose," she whispered to Viola. "That Doflamingo is so confident in his superiority that he doesn't post men on the towers."

"Or they could be on their way to the Toy House to back up the others," Viola added. "You are right though. Doflamingo is more than confident that this day will end with the death of the Straw Hat Pirates and Trafalgar Law."

"Prick," Reecheru insulted. "That much arrogance is a weakness. It's easily exploited and will result in his own downfall." She was scowling in the direction that she knew the palace was in. Her eyes widened as she just thought of something.

"Perhaps," Viola was still on the subject of Doflamingo's personality.

"I just had a wicked idea," Rae announced. "Oooohhhh, I can't wait to hear what the soldiers are reporting to each other. This is going to be hilarious."

"Why do you say that?" Viola asked.

"Once Merissa gets going in her attack there will be a ton of confusion," Reecheru explained. The men were still too far ahead to hear her. "When I get confirmation that she's on the rampage I'll do the same thing."

"You mean to disguise yourself as Cyborg Franky?" Viola blinked.

"Can you think of anything better?" Reecheru grinned evilly. "One Franky attacking a Toy House entrance at one end of the city. Another Franky attacking another entrance in the opposite direction. Then suddenly a third Franky appears to start attacking the entrance of the palace itself. It's poetic justice if you ask me."

"Is that the entrance to the palace?" Luffy asked.

"Shhhh!" Zoro snapped out.

"No it isn't," Viola answered as she walked up. "That's the entrance to the Ramparts Tower which is directly below the palace."

"Under it?" Luffy asked for clarification.

"That's right," Viola said. "To reach the palace we still have to go up. The Ramparts Tower also has a secret entrance. We'll need to hurry. Let's go and don't let the guards see you. If we make a scene they'll call the executives and then we'll be stuck." She started to walk away with Reecheru following her. Zoro turned his head to look after them. "In particularly the executive named Pica. If he comes out then we'll never be able to reach Doflamingo and it will be all over."

Zoro and Kin'emon were following after the two women. They stopped when they noticed they were short one fish. "Where's Luffy-dono?" Kin'emon asked.

Reecheru noticed the action and looked back. "Please don't tell me," she started.

"Look there!" Wicka pointed from her place in Zoro's fur. Everyone noticed a red and black fish rushing towards the guards in front of the Ramparts entrance. Everyone had various looks of disbelief except Zoro who looked like he was going to be sick to his stomach even in the cat suit.

"Gum-Gum..." Luffy was calling his attack as he ran to the doors.

"What is that carp doing?" a guard asked.

"GIANT..." Luffy blew into his hand. As he stretched it out it blew up to the size of a giant's.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Is it a blowfish?"

"PISTOL!" Luffy attacked the doors to the Ramparts Tower. Though he ignored the guards that were posted, his attack still hit them head on. The guards that were just behind the doors were also caught up in the attack.

The group on the outside were in stunned silence for a few seconds. "WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?" Zoro and Kin'emon demanded. Wicka and Viola were freaking out. Reecheru pulled out a camera snail and took a picture.

"One has to wonder how long you've known Luffy Zoro," Rae stated as she put away her snail. "I've not known him for very long and even I knew that it was only a matter of time before he got bored with taking the safe route."

All of the guards that had been posted there were all sprawled out. They had been knocked unconscious by the attack. Luffy was dusting his fins off. "It's open," he announced calmly. One fin pointed to the now gaping entrance as he turned to look at everyone.

"That's not the issue here," Zoro yelled at him. His cat eyes were bugging from Luffy's lack of self-preservation.

Wicka was baring her teeth and looked like she was ready to rip Luffy a new hole. "I don't believe it," Viola commented.

"Are you a bubblehead!?" Wicka snapped.

"We have no choice now," Viola lamented. "Since it's come to this we might as well go this way. It's faster this way anyway." The group started rushing towards the entrance.

Zoro paused in running when he noticed that one of the team was left behind. He turned to find Reecheru staring at one of the knocked out guards. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Do you want to be left behind?"

Reecheru put a finger up to indicate she needed a moment. She made a few hand gestures and was surrounded by smoke. In her place stood Franky. "Owe!" Franky made a pose with his giant arms. "Let's get this show on the road. It's going to be SUPER!"

"Somehow that's really creepy since I know that isn't really Franky," Zoro sweatdropped. The two of them then rushed to catch up to the others.

"Can I take this thing off?" Luffy asked.

"Do as you like," Viola snapped. It was clear that she was getting frustrated with Luffy's laid back attitude.

Luffy then noticed who was running behind them. "Oi! Franky! When did you get here?" The only answer he got was for Zoro to hit him upside the head.

Behind the group, one of the guards weakly lifted up his head. It was the guard that Reecheru had been staring at. "That's..." he muttered. The alarms in the palace started blaring. "This is the Ramparts Tower," he yelled into an intercom snail. "We were just under attack. The palace has been invaded by Straw Hat Luffy and Cyborg Franky!"

As the group was making their way through the Ramparts, Rae/Franky stopped by one of the guards and searched him. She found the snail that he was carrying around then rushed to join the others. "What's that for?" Zoro asked. He was in the process of ripping off the cat costume. Not too far away Kin'emon was carefully taking off his frog disguise.

"Information is our most valuable asset," Rae/Franky stated. "This will let us know what the enemy is planning and what they're next move will be."

"Are you sure it's him," a female voice came from the snail.

"Yes it is!" a panicky voice answered. "He broke down the gate and..."

"It can't be him," the woman interrupted. "Straw Hat is fighting in the Colosseum under the name Lucy."

"I didn't think his disguise would fool anyone," Reecheru/Franky grinned.

"How can you be so carefree about this?" Zoro asked. "Who's fighting in Luffy's place if they all think he's still there?"

"Luffy's other brother," R-Franky answered. "He took Luffy's armor and is posing as him to win the Flare-Flare Fruit."

As a group of reinforcements came up Zoro broke away from R-Franky and began his own attack. Viola stayed behind R-Franky, giving the impression that he was protecting her. Luffy was tearing through the guards like it was no one's business.

"This is the Ramparts Tower B-2 in front of the Dining Hall!" The snail continued to give R-Franky and Viola information. "There's no mistake about it! One of the intruders is Straw Hat Luffy!" The two looked up at the sound of breaking swords. Zoro had cut the enemy swords into small pieces. He had a fierce look on his face. "And Pirate Hunter Zoro!"

"Damn that's hot," R-Franky said.

"Please don't say such things," Viola begged. "Not while you're disguised as Cyborg Franky."

R-Franky grinned back at her for an instant then turned back to the battle. A few of the guards had gotten past the others. R-Franky threw something into their path. "FRANKY BOMB!" he yelled out. When the object hit the ground it exploded.

"Do you really have bombs on you?" Viola asked.

"Not at all," R-Franky answered quietly. "Those are just kunai with seal scroll attached. The seal is a fireball jutsu designed to go off on two conditions. Either when the kunai becomes embedded in it's target or a certain amount of time has elapsed. I just pump a little chakra into it to activate it."

"You'll have to explain chakra to me once this whole ordeal is over," Viola grinned.

R-Franky punched a guard that had gotten too close. "Only if there's time."

"Cyborg Franky is here as well!"

"That's not possible," the woman argued. "He's been reported attacking the Eastern Toy House entrance."

"And Violet-sama!"

"Violet?" R-Franky asked.

"My name I had gone by while working as Doflamingo's subordinate," Viola answered.

"There's also one other person!" The two looked up to see Kin'emon scaring away a few guards with his flaming sword.

"Straw Hat Luffy has snuck in?" A low, sinister sounding male voice came over the snail.

"Who is that?" R-Franky asked.

"That's Doflamingo," Viola answered.

"Then who the hell is it that's fighting in the Colosseum!?"

"He's getting pissed," R-Franky grinned.

"It's just as you predicted," Viola agreed.

"Can you confirm that it's Cyborg Franky and not some imposter?" The female voice from earlier spoke again.

"We can't tell for sure," a guard answered. "He's holding back and protecting Violet-sama."

"This is the East Toy House Entrance," another voice came in. "The marines have just arrived and started attacking the Straw Hat Pirate Cyborg Franky."

"This is the West Toy House Entrance," yet another voice yelled. "I have no idea what's going on, but we're under attack by Cyborg Franky!"

M-Franky was spitting fire at the entrance to the Toy House. The guards were dodging out of the way. 'All I have to do,' Merissa/Franky thought. 'Is make it appear like I'm attacking with high tech weaponry. Shouldn't be too difficult.' She threw a number of smoke bombs and other array of weapons that would confuse the enemy. The more chaos that was created the better.

"What the hell is going on!?" Doflamingo demanded.

Luffy ran up to where R-Franky and Viola were. He went up to the snail and took hold of it. "Where are you, Mingo?" he demanded.

R-Franky hit Luffy on the top of the head. "You moron," he said. "You don't announce to the enemy that you got a hold of one of their devices. They'll stop giving information out if they know we're listening in."

"Did he get through to Doflamingo?" Zoro asked.

"Luckily no," Viola answered. "He just screamed at the snail. In order to be heard you have to..."

R-Franky put his hand over Viola's mouth. He looked pointedly over to Luffy who had been listening closely. "If he finds out how to make Doflamingo hear him then he'll still do it, no matter what we say." Viola nodded her head in understanding.

A group of guards charging at them drew Luffy away. "Where's Mingo!?" he demanded as he started punching all of them down.

"I don't think they'll answer you like that," R-Franky pointed out. "If you want one of them to tell you that then you should refrain from hitting at least one of them. That way you can pump them for information." A guard that had been on the floor next to them stared at R-Franky in open confusion. R-Franky grinned at him just before hitting him on top of the head.

"You should follow your own advise," Zoro smirked.

"I'm not the one demanding where Doflamingo is," R-Franky answered. "So it's alright if I knock a few out."

"I think your logic is flawed," Kin'emon said.

"I thnk your face is flawed," R-Franky responded. He threw another kunai at a group of guards. This one exploded as well.

They soon found themselves under fire. Zoro and Kin'emon rushed ahead with Viola following close behind. Zoro cut the bullets into bits while Kin'emon cut the guns. Viola rushed to the now weaponless guards and kicked them into submission, also known as unconscious.

Zoro leapt at another group and cut them down. In the middle of the fray, Wicka fell out of Zoro's pocket. Kin'emon dove after her and caught her in his hands. Once all the guards had been taken down the hall was eerily silent.

"Are you okay small person?" Kin'emon asked.

"Thank you," Wicka said. She was laying on Kin'emon's outstretched hands in a way that he looked upside down to her.

Zoro stood tall from his spot. "Kin'emon," he called out. "You look out for her from now on."

"What!?" Kin'emon whipped around to face him. "But I have to go to the Toy House to find my friend Kanjuro."

"I want to go there too," Wicka announced. "I have to take part in Operation S.O.P."

"You do?" Kin'emon looked down at Wicka in surprise. "I didn't know that. Zoro-dono, we're going to go to the Toy House together."

"Do as you like," Zoro stated.

Kin'emon then held Wicka up close to his face. "Now, where is the Toy House?"

"It's still beneath us," Wicka answered. "Maybe if you go down those stairs first..." She was pointing off to the side.

"Beneath us?" Kin'emon looked in the direction indicated. "I understand which way we have to go now. Hide deep in my pocket so that you don't fall out again." He then proceeded to stuff Wicka into his robes. She was trying to protest, saying she needed to tell him something. Kin'emon ignored her and turned to the others. "I'll take my leave now." Without waiting for another word Kin'emon rushed down the stairs.

"Are you sure you want them to go Zoro?" R-Franky asked. "You might get lonely without your little girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Zoro snapped. "And take off that ridiculous disguise. It's creepy enough knowing that you're not really Franky, but to think that it's actually you..." He left that statement hanging and glared at R-Franky. Viola put a hand to her mouth and giggled.

R-Franky did a few hand gestures and Reecheru was with them once again. "You just don't know how to have any fun," she tsked. The group was quickly on the move once again. Reecheru still listening in on the enemy reporting their movements. "They haven't noticed that Kin'emon has left."

"Cyborg Franky has split off from Straw Hat Luffy's main group," a voice said. "We're attempting to locate him now."

"How hard is it to find a giant monstrosity of a man?" the woman asked.

"Franky isn't a monster," Luffy yelled. "He's really cool looking."

"It's a matter of opinion Luffy," Reecheru grinned. "I find it odd though. They make no mention of me joining the group."

"It's how they reported Kin'emon," Zoro stated. "When the guards from earlier said something they only reported that there was one other person. They never said if that person was male or female."

"How fortuitous for us then," Rae grinned. "They won't be looking for Kin'emon as he makes his way through this."

The four of them were just reaching the top of a set of stairs. "Which way!?" Luffy asked.

"Left," Viola responded. As one, the group turned and ran down the hall to the left.

"There's no one here," Luffy noted. "I'll get to you soon Mingo!"

"Their security isn't keeping up," Zoro pointed out.

"Or it's a trap," Reecheru added. Suddenly the hall started to shake and the candles along the walls went out one by one. "I hate it when I'm right about those kind of things."

"You hate it when you're right?" Viola asked.

"When it comes to traps," Reecheru corrected. "Usually I love being right and able to rub it in my partners face. Right now, I wish she and I could trade places."

"What is all this?" Luffy asked.

Zoro hit him with the hilt of his sword. "We just got done saying it was a trap!"

M-Franky felt a shiver go up her spine. He was standing in the midst of a pile of bodies. "Reinforcements should be here soon," he noted. A few hand gestures and Merissa stood in Franky's place. "I just know that Rae's talking smack about me. That shiver proved it without a doubt." Merissa then took one of the skinnier goons and dragged him to what looked like a supply room. She took off his main shirt and pants then locked him inside. Merissa then put the clothes on herself. She went back to the pile of bodies. She swiped her hand at a pile of rubble, getting her hand dirty. She then wiped it all over her face. One of the goons that was on the ground had a cut on his forehead. She took a cloth and put a little blood on the color of her shirt.

She was just laying on the ground when the sound of feet rushing in came. "Search the area," a voice ordered. "Cyborg Franky can't have gotten too far."

Merissa started twitching and let out a weak cough. "There's someone alive over here," a person called. Merissa soon found herself surrounded by Doflamingo's goons. "Are you alright?"

Merissa lifted a hand and pointed. "The elevator," she gasped out. "He went down the..." Merissa then let her body fall into a relaxed state, looking as if she passed out.

"We'll get her to a doctor later," the goon in charge said. "Right now we have to go after Cyborg Franky. Everyone, to the elevator!"

Merissa cracked an eye open to watch everyone file into the small compartment. When the doors closed she stood up and dusted herself off. She went to the elevator doors and forced them open. The cables were still moving as they took the elevator down. Merissa smirked as she let a seal fall out of her outstretched hand. "Oops," she said. Merissa turned and walked away. She had just taken cover around a wall when the elevator went up in flames.

When the shaking stopped, Reecheru looked around warily. Dust then started to fall from the walls. "Something's in the wall," Luffy announced. His voice drew her attention to where he was looking. A portion of the wall started bulging outwardly. The shaking started up again, only more fiercely this time.

"A face!?" Zoro asked in surprise. They all watched as the face spread out and a stone giant emerged from the wall.

"What the...!?" Luffy was in shock.

"It's a stone man!?" Zoro asked.

"Shit! It's Pica!" Viola cried out. Her curse had caused Reecheru to stare at her in wide eyed wonder.

"He's huge," Luffy pointed out.

"Thanks for that captain obvious," Reecheru snapped. "Anything else you'd like to share with the class?"

"This is no time for jokes," Viola snapped. "We have to be careful. That's Pica, one of the top executives of the family."

"That stone monster?" Zoro asked.

"He ate the Stone-Stone Fruit," Viola explained. "He's a human that can assimulate with and control stone."

"What I wouldn't give for the Tsukikage right about now," Reecheru sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked.

"He doesn't look like a human to me," Luffy ignored them. "Are you really a human?" he asked the stone man. Pica just turned his head to look at him. "I'm asking you a question! Say something! Can you talk!?"

"Don't draw his attention," Rae snapped. She was too late in her warning, however. One of Pica's arms lifted and he brought it back down on top of them. The group all managed to dodge out of the way.

"If we get hit by one of those we'll be crushed in one blow," Zoro commented.

"If something's not done we can't go further," Luffy said. He then activated his second gear. "Then I won't be able to kick Mingo's ass." Luffy then jumped up and attacked Pica with his Jet Gatling. The stone giant crumbled to pieces in front of them. "All done, let's go." He then started running through the rumble.

"That was too easy," Zoro said as they followed. The ground immediately started shaking and a hand shot out of the floor, making it's way towards them.

"You just had to say something," Rae snapped at Zoro.

"He's back for more," Luffy got into a stance.

"So he's not just a stone man," Zoro stated.

"Now you see that it's not easy to take down the executives," Viola said. "He can take control and merge with any kind of stone. Which means that Pica has basically taken control of this entire palace."

"Well ain't that a bitch," Reecheru sighed.

"You're way too relaxed about this!" Viola snapped at Reecheru, hoping that she would take things more seriously.

Pica's arms disappeared into the walls. Before any could understand what he was doing, the walls started closing in on them. "The walls," Luffy helpfully pointed out.

"Shit!" Reecheru cursed. She threw a kunai way past Pica and then one at her feet. "Grab a hold of me!" she ordered. Three sets of hands took hold of Reecheru. Two on her shoulders and one at her waist. Without looking to see who's hand was where, it didn't matter in life or death situations, Reecheru made a few hand gestures. The walls then snapped together to crush the small group.

Merissa looked down the elevator shaft. A few small fires remained and it was a little hot, but there was no longer any danger of another explosion. "Now that the way is clear," she said. Merissa jumped into the shaft. After she fell for a little then she caught herself along the wall using her chakra. She took stock of where she was and how much further she had to go. "What a pain all of this is," she smuttered. "Why couldn't the S.M.I.L.E factory be somewhere more easily accessible. I'm not asking them to announce a building where they do illegal work, but at least don't hide something in a stupid maze." She continued to make her way down the shaft.

After the dust settled Reecheru got a good look at where they were. They had made it to the other end of the hall, but somehow Pica had been quick enough to figure out where they were going to be. The walls had come in on them from this end as well. The only thing that saved them was Luffy blowing himself up like a balloon. "Is everyone alright?" he asked. He was trying to hold his breath as he talked.

"Yes," Viola answered. "Thanks to both you and Rae."

"I barely did anything," Rae stated. "I only moved us from point A to B. Luffy's the one that stopped us from being crushed."

Zoro glanced at her and then back at Luffy. "Hold on a sec," he said. "I'm gonna..." He then lunged Shusui's tip into a crack in the wall. Once it was embedded he poured an enormous amount of haki into the blade. This action caused the wall to burst open. Luffy bounced up and away from the others. He released the breath he had been holding and attacked the Pica statue without giving the executive time to realize that they were all still alive. Zoro picked up Viola and moved her out of the way. He was going to help Rae out of the way, but then noticed she was already on the move.

Pica moved a large piece of stone in front of him as a shield. Instead of Luffy hitting the stone man, he hit the shield. The stone shield broke apart, leaving Pica unscathed. "This guy is such a pain," Luffy said when he landed.

"Let me handle it," Zoro said. He had Shusui drawn and was charging towards the statue. In response, Pica 'lifted' the floor and made a new wall. Zoro took out another sword and cut down the new wall. Pica was on the other side, still untouched by any of their attacks.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The others looked to see that there were now two Reecherus in the hall with them. One of them lowered her right hand. The other made motions over the hand with both of her's. Soon a strange, swirling mass was gathering in the first Reecheru's outstretched hand.

"What is that?" Viola asked.

The second Reecheru disappeared with a puff. The now only Reecheru started running towards Pica. Her left arm was in an angle behind her while her right arm cupped the strange mass to her side. Pica raised the floor once again to make a shield for himself. "Rasengan!" Reecheru thrust her right hand towards the wall. A small hole was made in the wall, but the others could hear some sort of destruction from behind it.

Zoro cut the wall down to see what had happened. On the other side the stone man was trembling and half of him was missing. Zoro blinked at the destruction, Viola stared on in open eyed shock and Luffy had stars in his eyes. "I knew I made the right choice in making you Nakama," he cheered.

Pica quickly reassembled himself and started attacking. Luffy, Zoro and Rae began attacking in earnest. Pica's limbs were falling off left and right only to grow back from the stone. Zoro and Rae attacked both of the legs again. At the same time they crumbled out from under Pica. Luffy picked up Viola and started running. "Let's get away from the stone man," he ordered. Zoro and Rae followed quickly after him.

Pica reassembled himself and turned to face the retreating group. He slammed his hand into the ground. The floor sprung up and created a wall in front of the group to prevent their escape. Zoro unsheathed all of his swords and attacked the wall. It fell apart, revealing another hallway. "Luffy," Zoro called out. "Rae, take her and get out of here. Leave this fight to me. You go ahead and kick Doflamingo's ass."

Luffy stared at Zoro with no emotion, Viola still tucked under his arm. Reecheru narrowed her eyes at the stubborn swordsman. She then let out a breath in resignation. He had admitted so himself not long ago to her. The main fighters of the Straw Hats preferred to fight alone. "Don't go getting yourself killed," she ordered.

"Wouldn't dream of making you miss me," Zoro smirked.

"We're counting on you Zoro," Luffy said.

"Of course," Zoro pointed one of his swords at Pica. "This stone man is gonna get cut. I'm going to fight you."

The others began to run down the hall, looking for a way out. Pica put one hand against the wall and they melded together. The three retreating soon noticed that the hall in front of them and the floor were becoming distorted. "It's going to block our path," Viola cried out.

"I said I'm going to fight," Zoro announced. He leapt up and cut the stones away that were preventing the others from advancing.

The three ran through the B-1 Ramparts. The floor was constantly shifting and 'arms' were coming from the walls to attack them. Luffy and Reecheru took them out when they got too close to themselves or Viola. "We just keep getting blocked in," Luffy pointed out.

"I told you," Viola scolded. "Pica can manipulate this entire palace any way that he wishes." She glanced over her shoulder to look at the way they had just come from. "Straw Hat! Is he really going to be alright?"

"You mean Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"He'll be just fine," Reecheru put in.

"How do you know that?" Viola asked.

"Because I'll kill him if he dies." Reecheru had a grin, but Viola could tell that she was quite serious.

"No matter what happens," Luffy added. "Zoro will be just fine."


	19. SOP

**RedHairedOctavia:** To answer your question from the previous chapter. Reecheru is pronounced rey-cheer-oo. I hope that answers your question. :D

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Eighteen: S.O.P

Luffy, Viola and Reecheru were still running through the halls of the Ramparts. "Do you think it's still after us?" Luffy asked.

"Taking into consideration that we're no longer being pelted with stone tentacles I would assume we're safe for the moment," Rae answered. Luffy gave her a confused look. She let out a sigh before she tried again. "Yes, Luffy, I think we got away from the mystery stone for now."

Luffy gave off his infamous laugh. "That's good then," he said.

"This is the patrol in the Ramparts," the stolen snail finally spoke again. "We've been joined by Gladius-sama and are in pursuit of the intruders. It is our understanding that Pica-sama has detained the Straw Hat group. The second group of intruders are still on the loose."

"What second group?" Luffy asked.

"Could they mean Kin'emon?" Rae asked.

"It's doubtful," Viola answered. "Give me just a moment." Viola stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes. Reecheru and Luffy stopped along with her. After a moment Viola's eyes opened. "The one-legged soldier is here with a few of the Tontattas," she said. "They're not too far away from us. Just a few halls down. But I'm afraid that Gladius and his group will reach them before we do."

"Is that a bad thing?" Luffy asked. "The soldier can beat them, right?"

"I'm certain he can handle most of them," Viola agreed. "I'm not too sure about Gladius. He has an ability that could completely destroy the Toy Soldier's body."

"Then it's a bad thing," Luffy announced. He started running down the hall again. "Which way do we have to go?"

"Turn left now!"

Merissa stared at the destruction in front of her. She had just reached the Trade Port when all hell broke loose. A large ship with a duck for the mast head went flying through the area to crash into the center tower. "That is maximum rage," she said. "What kind of moron thinks that throwing a ship around is a good idea?"

Merissa surveyed the area she was in. "It doesn't matter anyway," she decided. "I don't think that was the S.M.I.L.E Factory. They wouldn't be so careless with something that important. So the question now becomes, where is the factory? Time for a little snooping." Merissa did a few hand gestures and was quickly disguised as one of Doflamingo's soldiers. She started walking casually along the outer area. She didn't want to get too close to the chaos and get caught up in with whatever was going down.

Luffy rounded the corner to see the soldier's head swollen to an enormous size. Gladius had a hold of his neck and was talking, "I can detonate my own body. And... Inorganic objects as well." The two of them still hadn't noticed the new arrivals.

"Gear Second," Luffy immediately went into fight mode as Gladius was bragging. The soldier cried out Rebecca's name. Without warning to the unsuspecting parties, Luffy launched his attack. "Jet Stamp!" His foot slammed into the gut of Gladius. It threw him away from the Soldier and the Soldier's head went back to it's original size. "Who is it!?" Gladius demanded.

The Toy Soldier floated down and landed in Luffy's open hand upside down. The two were completely ignoring the kneeling executive. "Soldier!" Luffy held his tin hat firmly in both hands. "Where is Franky and the others?"

"You're..." Soldier stated in surprise.

"Oh? You're not with them?" Luffy asked.

"I think that would be obvious," Reecheru said. "I don't see the normal destruction that follows Franky around like a puppy. Besides, we have it on good authority that he's attacking the Toy House. Don't you remember?"

"Oh, you mean the sn..." Before Luffy could finish his sentence Reecheru was on top him, covering his mouth with her hand.

"Silence and disgression are the better parts of espionage," Rae snapped. Luffy just blinked up at her. "In other words, don't tell the enemy a single thing about anything. Not one word, you get me?" Luffy nodded his head. Reecheru narrowed her eyes on him, not fully believing he understood. She hesitantly pulled her hand away from his mouth.

"So we don't say anything," Luffy confirmed. Reecheru nodded, hoping that he would stop there. Luffy held up the snail they had taken off the palace guard earlier. Gladius' eyes zeroed in on it and narrowed. "Ok, I won't say anything about this."

Reecheru's eyes twitched and her fingers so wanted to grip one of her kunai at that point. "It doesn't matter anymore," Viola interrupted. "This is no time to talk. We need to keep moving." She finally caught up to the two of them. They were considerably faster then she had expected.

"That's Straw Hat Luffy," Gladius realized at last. "And Violet..." His eyes shifted to the other woman in the hall. They had no information on her or her name. Just that she was one of the intruders with Straw Hat.

At the sound of her name Violet turned to see who it was. "Gladius!" she gasped out.

"How could you?" Gladius growled. Veins started emerging on his forehead. "How could you betray the Young Master?"

"Alright!" Luffy cheered. He lifted a fist to show he was ready. "Bring it on!"

"No!" Viola grabbed Luffy's fist. "We have to run! We don't have the time," Viola explained. She didn't need to grab Reecheru as she was already on the move. "Plus he's really strong."

"Don't tell Luffy things like that," Reecheru snapped. "It'll only egg him on. Next time you should say he's too weak to be a challenge to Luffy or something."

"Nevermind all of that," Viola dismissed. "Let's just go to the Suit Chamber for now."

"Again with announcing our plans to the enemy," Reecheru chastised. "Can't you people ever just keep plans to yourself until the enemy is out of earshot?"

"Viola-sama," Soldier said. He had been moved to holding onto Luffy's shoulders. "Why are you doing this?"

"You know who I am?"

"I do! Even if you don't remember me."

"I've been watching over you and Rebecca with my Clairvoyance," Viola answered. "Thank you very much for taking care of her. It must have been very hard." Soldier stared at her in wonder.

"VIOLET!" Gladius' angry voice radiated against the stone walls. "I will never let a traitor walk away alive." His helmet then started to expand and puff up in bursts. Cracks started to stretch across it.

"I didn't betray anyone," Viola yelled. She was looking over her shoulder back to the executive. "Since that day ten years ago I never trusted any of you. Not even once!"

"Either way," Gladius dismissed her statement. "It's disrespectful to the Young Master. Helmet Pop!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A mass of Reecherus suddenly appeared in the hall. They all had a kunai in each hand. They were able to block most of the shards of helmet that was sent flying in their direction. The shockwave from the explosion still knocked Viola off of her feet. Luffy managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Several of the clones were hit by the shards and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The original Reecheru kept pace with Luffy as they ran.

"Are you alright?" Reecheru asked.

"I'm just a little winded," Viola answered. "I wasn't expecting that big of an explosion. Thank you for protecting us from the main blast."

"Not a problem," Rae grinned. "I have to admit that he packs quite a punch for a guy that goes around wearing a dress." Luffy sputtered and started laughing.

"Don't you ever take anything seriously?" Soldier asked.

"Sure I do," Rae answered. "It's just that I haven't come across anyone yet that I have to take too seriously."

"We can discuss these things afterwards," Viola interrupted. "Right now we have to keep going up."

"How we go up doesn't matter, right?" Luffy asked. "Rae, stay right with me. Keep up as best as you can."

"Got it!"

"Wait a second," Viola cried. "This isn't the way to the staircase!"

Luffy kicked through a window and ended up in the palace courtyard. Reecheru was right behind him, guarding her face from shards of glass. "What?" Soldier asked in confusion.

"What are you up to!?" Viola pressed.

"That must be it," Luffy ignored them. With both hands full he had no choice but to use his feet. Luffy kicked one leg up to attach it to a windowsill on the third floor above them. Before he was pulled away, Reecheru grabbed his free ankle. The group was then sent soaring into the sky. Reecheru watched the ground below them. Gladius had chased them outside. He was looking around, back and forth, but not up. Apparently his eyesight wasn't good enough to see which direction Luffy had quickly pulled them to.

In the hallway, which was more immaculate then the one they just left behind, Luffy set down his two passengers. Soldier leaned his back against the wall. "I can't believe it," he said. "We made it all the way to our destination in such a short time."

"Yeah," Reecheru smiled at him. "I've come to notice that Luffy has that effect on people. He's straight forward to a fault. He'd rather take care of the heart of a problem right away then deal with subtlety."

"You have to wait," Viola's voice was heard. "You can't go in there yet."

"See what I mean?"

"Why do I have to hide?" Luffy whined. "Mingo is right there! Let's just go and kick his ass."

Viola started to shush him right away. "You have to be quiet," she whispered. "You can't ruin their operation."

"What operation?" Luffy asked.

"I would hit you if it wouldn't make so much noise," Reecheru growled in a whisper. "If you were paying attention to anything that Wicka said you would know this. The Tontattas are planning an operation to reveal the depravity and sinister plots of Doflamingo."

"Huh?"

"The Tontattas are going to show everyone that Doflamingo is a bad guy trying to disguise himself as a good guy," Rae tried again. "If we alert Doflamingo about it then it could all be lost."

"We can only make a move after they pull it off," Viola picked up. "So we have to hide here and be quiet until they do." She lifted her head up and peeked into the next room. She could see Doflomingo sitting in front of Law with Buffalo standing next to him. Baby 5 was standing not too far from Law and a group of guards were behind Dolflamingo.

"That's my father," Viola gasped. She did her best to remain silent. Luffy and Soldier had joined her at the window. "What's he doing in the palace?" A man was seated and chained at the far end of the room.

"Tra-guy seems to be okay Rae," Luffy announced. He wasn't loud, but he didn't lower his voice to a whisper. It made Reecheru smirk, he would never make a good ninja. If the Hokage knew just who they had teamed up with she would probably not be able to stop laughing. The three turned back and sat down. "Let's go in there and beat Mingo's ass," Luffy stated.

"I said we have to wait," Viola repeated.

"Luffy," Reecheru spoke up. "If you have a little patience and wait quietly with the rest of us then I'll spar with you again. This time I won't forfeit the match and I'll take it very seriously." Luffy looked at her with excited eyes. He thought about her offer for a moment. With a nod and a "Uhn" a deal was made.

Merissa was able to walk around the Trade Port freely. The other guards were more interested in the spectacle going on at the Tower. It suited her just fine. No one was paying much attention to her. Although, she had been walking around the area for what felt like ages. There was nothing that stood out to her like a factory. With a reluctant sigh, she turned around and headed for the tower remains.

"What's taking so long?" Luffy asked. "How long do I have to wait around like this?" Rae could only roll her eyes. The promise of a spar wasn't going to keep him still for very long after all. Viola, who had her eyes closed, opened them with a gasp. "What's wrong?" Luffy asked.

"The Tontattas," Viola managed. "They've been defeated by Trebol."

"What?" Soldier asked.

Luffy turned and faced Viola more directly. "My nakama should be with them," he said.

"Yes," Viola hesitantly admitted. "The one with the long nose. But he's..." Reecheru winced at the implications. Whatever Usopp had done, it was obviously distressing.

"Then let's wait," Luffy announced. He plopped a seat fully on the floor. This action was a little surprising to Reecheru. He had never given any indication that he could be patient, ever. "As long as he's there, Usopp will definitely do something." Viola and Soldier looked surprised in Luffy's confidence in his friend. "I'm sure that Usopp will take care of it."

Usopp was running through the Trade Port. He was sprouting nonsense about how he was going to write a picture book of "The Honest Tontattas". Then he continued to complain about how it was Franky and Merissa's fault that they hadn't come to help him. He felt a choking as something caught hold of his stolen scarf and yanked him back. Usopp's eyes nearly popped out of his head from the sudden lack of air. He landed hard on his back and lost his breath.

Usopp blinked up at the ceiling, wondering what happened. A Trade Port guard was suddenly looming over him. "Care to explain to me exactly what is my fault?" a feminine voice threatened.

Once Usopp blinked away the bleariness, he was overcome with happiness. His eyes became blurry again from tears. "Thank goodness you've finally made it," Usopp cried. He jumped to his feet and attempted to hug Merissa. She pushed him away with a harsh flick to the forehead. "Ouch," he complained. "Why did you have to do that?"

"Because you're being annoying," Merissa explained. "Now tell me something Usopp. Why is this place in shambles?"

"It's all gone horribly wrong," Usopp explained. "The Tontattas were defeated badly by the snot guy."

"I'm not even going to ask what you meant by snot guy," Merissa shuddered in disgust. "But explain to me why you're not helping them."

"You can't be serious!" Usopp yelled. "There's no way that I'm going to risk my neck for a lie about being a hero."

"That's your own fault," Merissa snapped. "If you hadn't lied to them in the first place then you wouldn't be here. And I wouldn't be threatening your life."

"You're not threatening me," Usopp pointed out.

Merissa pulled a kunai out from her pocket. "I'm not? Then this must be a part of your lie as well."

"What do you expect me to do?" Usopp whined.

"I expect you to grow a set and act like a man."

"You know, that actually hurt a little."

As the two of them were arguing a cry rose out from the tower. "USOLAND!" Usopp froze and started to sweat. Merissa looked back in the direction the cry came from and then back to Usopp who had tried to start running again. She ran up next to him and tripped him.

"Don't you hear that?" she asked. "Those people are in trouble. They're calling for their hero. A hero that you gave them false hope in. They're waiting for you to go and rescue them. To prove yourself the hero that they had been counting on. How can you turn your back on those that rely so much on you?"

"I don't want to be a hero," Usopp refused. "Hell no! It's their own fault for believing in everything that they're told." A conversation began over the intercom after Trebol told the dock workers to get back to work. He had apparently forgotten to turn it off.

"SHUT UP!" Sounded from the intercom. "USOLAND DOESN'T LIE!"

Usopp started twitching uncontrollably. Merissa looked back at the tower and then back at him. She allowed Usopp to get back up and continue on the path of escape. She did, however, stay close to him. She could see the internal struggle raging inside of him. He wanted to run away. But his conscience was eating away at him. He was starting to feel guillty for leaving the Tontattas behind.

The intercom continued to blare the conversation between the Tontattas and the Doflomingo executives. The Tontattas continued in their unwavering belief that Usoland would save them. They were determined to convince Trebol that their hero was the real deal. The longer the conversation stretched, the more it cause Usopp to cry. He eventually stopped running and listened to what the Tontattas were saying. Merissa stopped and watched him with a pleased look on her face.

The two didn't have long to figure out the next move. The voices over the intercom were becoming more desperate. As Leo was announcing how Usoland would help them he was cut off. A strange noise came from him. To the horror of the two on the dock Trebol had laughed over the 'death cry'. Then more of the Tontattas stated in their belief only to be quickly followed by the cry. It was sending Usopp into a mad rage and Merissa wasn't too far behind. She was just able to control it better.

Usopp shed his disguise and started running again. Merissa also released her own disguise and followed him. "Now that's more like it," she said. Usopp was running with his hands covering his ears.

The two made it to the ruined tower faster than Usopp had managed to get away. When they got there Merissa took up a strategic position with a high vantage point. The enemy didn't know about her being around just yet. Usopp got on the deck of the ruined ship. "STOP IT ALREADY YOU BASTARDS!" Usopp screamed.

"How could you guys put that must trust in me?" Usopp yelled at the Tontattas. "They're right, it was all a lie!"

"What!?"

"I'm not the descendant of the legendary hero and my name isn't Usoland. I'm the deadly sniper of the Straw Hats! My name is Usopp and I'm a pirate!" The Tontattas got teary eyed and Usopp started lecturing them on how he wasn't a hero. He was a pirate and pirates were not heros. The Tontattas went from being teary eyed to actually crying out loud. The sight was making Merissa get angry at Usopp. He should stop talking and start taking out the executives.

"You came all this way to tell them that you were lying?" Trebol asked.

"That's right," Usopp agreed. "Otherwise these guys would keep on waiting for me until they die, then I won't be able to sleep at night so instead, I'm here to thank them for believing in a liar like me. I plan on sacrificing myself for them because that's way cooler, isn't it!?" Usopp was tossing one of his seeds in his hand. He loaded it and fired at Trebol at the same time he had started his attack. Merissa watched all of this with a pleased look. She would step in only if Usopp got in trouble.

It didn't take long for Trebol to reassemble himself and start attacking. Usopp did what he was best at, dodging. Merissa decided to make a move while the two executives were concentrating on Usopp. She began to take the Tontattas away from the fight so that they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire. She made sure that they knew who she was and that they would be able to see the fight to it's conclusion. The only one that wouldn't let her move him away from the fight was Leo. She honored his wishes and stayed with the rest of them.

As the fight progressed, Merissa had to fight herself to keep from joining in. It was Usopp's fight. He had to prove to himself that he wasn's so big of a coward. It wasn't too long before a raggedy doll approached the group of Tontattas and Merissa. The doll kept it's distance, putting up her hands in a peace gesture. It was obvious that she wasn't able to talk.

The four in the palace kept a close eye on what was going on in the room where Doflamingo was sitting. There seemed to be some strange happenings. A guard was giving a report, but they couldn't hear what was being said. Reecheru pulled out the snail she stole. It was asleep and giving off no reports. She put it on the floor, it was no longer useful. Somehow the Family had figured out that they were listening in on them. It was probably when Luffy showed the snail to Gladius.

"My father was fighting in the Colosseum today," Viola's voice broke Rae out of her musings.

The others turned to look at her. "Is that true?" Luffy asked.

"I couldn't believe that Doflamingo's abdication was a false report," Viola continued. "It was just this morning and we all lost patience." Soldier picked up a sword from a display on the wall. He then seemed to become lost in his thoughts.

"We have a problem though," Viola continued. "There seems to be enemies coming this way from the first floor."

"This is bad," Reecheru commented. "It wouldn't do us any good to be pinched between two groups of enemies. I don't even see a place where we could hide. I would be able to hide myself sufficiently, but the rest of you stick out like sore thumbs. Not to mention that I doubt Luffy will be able to keep quiet."

The Tontattas cheered Usopp on using the fake name he had given them. Merissa was more curious about the living doll that had joined them. She was content to watch what was going on with the fight. It didn't seem like she was following the orders of the Doflamingo Family. Usopp was running around, trying to fight Trebol to the best of his ability. It wasn't long before he was all tied up in Trebol's snot.

Merissa pulled out a kunai and moved to join the fight. She was stopped by Leo and the other Tontattas. "This is Usoland's fight," Leo said.

"He can't even move now," Merissa argued.

"He'll figure out a way," Leo smiled. "You just have to believe in him."

"How about this," Merissa compromised. "I'll hold off until I think that they'll actually kill him or take him to Doflomingo. Or if that little witch tries to turn him into a toy."

The Tontattas all looked at each other and then nodded. While they wanted their hero to be the one to take down Sugar, they absolutely didn't want anything to happen to him. So Merissa forced herself to settle back down and watch. They watched as Sugar shoved the Tontatabasco grape into Usopp's mouth. The doll put her hands together and the Tontattas were freaking out that their plan was ruined.

Usopp swallowed the grape when Sugar forced his mouth closed. Right away it seemed like fire was sprouting from Usopp's mouth. He sat up straight and started to scream. His eyes not only bugged out of his head, but they twisted in show of how much pain he was in. Tears streamed down from his eyes. His appearance was so scary to Sugar that her eyes bugged out and she started screaming while throwing her hands up in the air.

"Hey Sugar!" Trebol yelled out. "What are you doing? Keep your senses!" Sugar started falling backwards, her screaming slowly dying down. She landed on the rock slab behind her harshly.

"Sugar has," Leo looked on in amazement. "SUGAR HAS PASSED OUT!"


	20. Darkness of a Nation

I had a reviewer point out that I was miss spelling Doflamingo's name. I apologize for this error. I've taken steps to correct and will be going back through prior chapters to try and fix it.

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Nineteen: Darkness of a Nation

Merissa stared at the doll that had been with them. As soon as it was obvious that Sugar had passed out a pulse went through the doll. She started to bulge in size, as if she was going to explode. Knowing that the toys had once been human made Merissa wonder exactly who the doll truly was. The pink and white dress it had been wearing turned into a black one-piece dress. Arms elongated and very feminine curves became more pronounced. The blond ropes the doll had for hair lengthened and smoothed as they turned into black, shimmering locks with a white hat on top.

Nico Robin stood there and stared at her hands. "I've turned back," she said in realization. She turned around at the sound of other voices coming from the Port. Some in shock and others in elation. The small robot teddy bears began to change back into Tontattas. Leo and the others were surprised that they never knew that they had been fighting against their friends this whole time. They started cheering as they announced that the operation had been a success.

Merissa went up to Robin and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Robin," she said. "I don't know why I had forgotten you were with Usopp. In fact, I had forgott..."

"You don't need to apologize," Robin smiled. She put a hand on Merissa's. "I knew the moment I was turned into a toy that everyone had forgotten me. I was relieved to see that not only had Usopp come back, but that you were with him. I take it that you and Franky had gotten through the Toy House?"

"I had no trouble," Merissa admitted. "Although, Franky and I had split up so I could go and look for Rae. Once I got my stuff I went to a different Toy House. My attack happened much later then his. He must be having trouble of some sort. His was the first attack so they would send reinforcements over to him right away. I'm sure his fight isn't an easy one."

"Should we go and back him up?" Robin asked.

"I don't think so," Merissa shook her head. "At this point all hell is going to break loose, I'm sure. The S.M.I.L.E Factory is somewhere down here and we need to find it before it gets too difficult."

"You have a point," Robin agreed. "Although..." At this point Robin looked Merissa up and down pointedly. "You've changed out of that cute outfit."

Merissa had indeed abandoned the clothes Nami 'charitably' loaned her. Now she was dressed in a pair of knee length shorts that were tight, but flexible. A number of pockets and buckles decorated them in a blue and white pattern. The waist band of the shorts stopped at Merissa's hips. Her top was also black, but it had an emblem stitched over the heart. It looked like a red and white fan to Robin. The top stopped just above Merissa's belly. The parts of Merissa's stomach that weren't covered by her shorts or top were obscured by a fishnet armor of some sort. On Merissa's arms were two separate sleeves not attached to her top. They had a blue band that kept them on her arms with a white fabric making up a majority of it. A pair of open toed black boots went up to her calves.

"It was a good change," Merissa smirked. "The other outfit didn't have any place for me to hide my weapons."

"And this one does?"

"Oh yeah."

Their conversation was interrupted by Trebol screaming. They looked over to see that he had a hold of Sugar's clothing and was shaking her. "Sugar! Hey Sugar! Wake up! Hey! Hey!" When it became clear it wasn't working he panicked. With tears in his eyes he looked up and cried, "THIS IS NO GOOD!" Yet despite how bad he seemed to think it was, the Tontattas were still cheering and crying for joy.

Reecheru watched what was going on in the room with Doflamingo. The snail that was on a stand next to him started crying. It was loud enough for Rae to hear what it was saying. "Sugar has... I'm sorry Doffy!" Reecheru wasn't able to hear what the others in the room were saying, but the snail was giving her more than enough information. The mouths of Buffalo and Doflamingo were moving. Then she heard the snail start speaking once again. "PASSED OUT! SHE PASSED OUT!" Doflamingo's grin immediately disappeared.

"What happened?" Luffy asked Reecheru.

"Sugar has passed out?" Viola asked for confirmation.

Doflamingo's voice raised so that the four in the hallway could hear him. His teeth were bared in a form of snarl. "Is this some kind of joke!?"

Trebol's voice had calmed down to the point that they could no long discern exactly what he was saying. "The Tontattas operation must have been successful," Viola said. She had tears in her eyes and her hands were clasped together as if in prayer. Luffy was ginning from ear to ear.

"I told you Usopp would take care of it," Luffy boasted.

"Young Master," Buffalo's shout drew their attention. "Look at the Colosseum!" The group turned to look once again. Doflamingo was standing from his chair and rushed to the monitor snail. The sound of many transponder snails ringing broke the silence. Doflamingo opened the window closest to him and the sounds of people screaming in a coalition of surprise and panic could be heard. Doflamingo's face grew more and more fierce in his anger.

Merissa and Robin moved in to retrieve Usopp once Trebol left the area with Sugar. In the mood he was in they didn't want to risk being spotted. It would have most likely resulted in another fight. Though, Merissa was so tempted to do just that.

Robin cradled Usopp in her lap while Merissa stood guard. The Tontattas were gathering around him. "Stay with us Usopp," Robin pleaded.

"Usoland," the Tontattas cried.

"Me and everyone else turned back into humans thanks to you," Robin said. She was trying her best to get a response out of Usopp.

The Tontattas started crying, fearing the worst. They all believed that the grape he had been fed killed him and it would have been their fault since they had made it. "Operation S.O.P is a success because of you," Leo was crying. "Everybody has turned back into a human and their crying for joy! They're all really happy thanks to you."

"Usopp, stay with me." Robin leaned closer to Usopp. She was trying her best to get him to wake.

"You should quit babying him," Merissa advised. "If you just look you can tell that he's in no danger." Merissa then proceeded to point out that Usopp was breathing and trembling, maybe in pain, but he was moving. "I'm sure if you check his pulse you would see that he's got a strong heartbeat."

"How can you be so sure?" Leo asked.

"I'm a medic nin," Merissa said. She looked over at Robin, obviously disappointed that she hadn't remembered that. "I can tell right away if someone needs medical attention. As it stands, Usopp really only needs a lot of milk."

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked.

"The chemical composition of milk has been proven to negate the chemicals that cause the burning sensation brought upon by powerful spices. Without milk, Usopp will be feeling that burn for a long while. Especially in a day or two."

"Why in a day or two?" Leo looked at her curiously.

"I'll just say this: all food is only ever borrowed."

The Tontattas looked confused at the statement. Robin put a hand to her mouth and started giggling like mad.

"I think..." Usopp's pained voice broke the conversation. "I think...I can't...carry on...any more..." He had raised a hand into the air and then dropped it. His trembling stopped and the Tontattas started panicking.

Merissa moved to give him a check over. She quickly checked his vitals. "He'll be fine," she announced. "It looks like he just passed out from the pain. In this case, it might be a good thing."

"If what you suggested earlier comes to pass..." Robin said. "We'll have to renovate the bathroom on the Sunny."

The Tontattas all had various reactions when they finally realized what they had been talking about earlier. All of the girls looked utterly disgusted. Most of the boys were laughing at the implications. The rest of the boys were looking at Usopp in pitty.

Usopp then blinked open his eyes. "I'm still alive?"

"Told you," Merissa rolled her eyes.

"The hero is still alive!" Leo cheered. "Usoland, thank you for everything!"

Usopp gave the Tontattas a 'thumbs up'. "Everything went as planned," he moaned out.

"So cool!" All the Tontattas jumped up for joy with stars in their eyes.

"Leave the rest...to my friends. The battle has...just begun." Usopp then passed out once again, missing the agreement of the Tontattas.

Reecheru kept a close eye on Doflamingo. His anger was filling the room. It was almost like a living thing. She missed the moment when Soldier changed back into a human. It was only the gasps of Viola and Luffy that finally drew her attention. Next to them stood a tall and proud man on one leg. He was dressed in the traditional clothing of the Dressrosa army. A sword was firmly clenched in his fist. Without a single word, the human soldier opened the window that they had been spying on Doflamingo through and rushed in.

Luffy, Reecheru and Viola looked after him. Two of them in shock and one in tears. "Who is he?" Luffy asked.

"Brother Kyros," Viola cried out. Luffy looked at her in shock and Reecheru looked at her with widened eyes. "Even I lost my memories of him."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked.

"Viola-sama," Reecheru called for her attention. "What exactly does this all mean? What is going to happen?"

Luffy started looking around the hall. "Where did the soldier go?" he asked.

Reecheru made a choking sound in her throat. "That's him," Viola whispered.

Luffy whipped around to look at her. "But that's a human," he argued.

"The toys were originally humans," Viola explained. "They were all erased from our memories. Since the devil fruit eater, Sugar, has passed out we got our memories back." Then a fond smile spread across Viola's features. "He's the former commander of the King Riku Army...Kyros. The strongest gladiator in the history of the Colosseum."

"Isn't that the old man the statue is of?" Luffy asked.

"That's right," Viola answered. "That's him. He's also Rebecca's father."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked. "She said that she didn't know him!" He was thoroughly confused at this point.

"When people forget about you," Viola put her face in her hand in shame. "There's nothing you can do to make them remember you. That's why he's just been watching over his beloved daughter for a decade. He has always been by her side, day after day, as a tin soldier."

Reecheru looked at the charging soldier in a new light. He must have gone through a terrible ordeal. He stayed strong and took care of his daughter, despite the fact that she would never realize who he was or what he meant to her. With her respect for Kyros growing, she had a new loathing for Doflamingo. For ten years he had been essentially kidnapping people and forcing them into slavery while gettting away with it all because of the people loosing their memories. It was a brilliant scheme, she could admit that much. However, a scheme of this magnitude had horrible repercussions if it failed. A smirk spread across her face. Judging by the look of rage on Doflamingo, he knew what those repercussions were.

As Viola was explaining who Kyros was he never stopped in his charge for Doflamingo. There were several cries from those inside when they realized they were under attack. Even Doflamingo looked surprised at his entrance. Kyros apologized to King Riku for taking so long to rescue him. He then attacked Doflamingo, cutting off his head. Luffy and Viola sat in their seats in shock. Doflamingo's subordinates looked on in horror at his apparent death. Reecheru narrowed her eyes. All the trouble they had to go through to get to this point, that was far too easy.

"For a decade the people of Dressrosa have suffered," Kyros spat. The subordinates had various reactions. The minor underlings were freaking out. Baby 5 started screaming in horror. Law was watching everything with a critical eye. Buffalo tried to attack Kyros for revenge. In retaliation, Kyros raised the tip of his sword to Buffalo's throat. "From now on I will rip the mask off of all of your deceptions," Kyros announced. He looked like a feral animal in his rage.

"Mingo is dead!" Luffy cried out. "But I wanted to kick his ass." His voice took on a disappointed tone.

Reecheru looked at him like he was insane and then smacked the back of his head. "Does it matter who did what or how?" she asked. "Although, I'm sure you will get your chance." Luffy looked back to Reecheru. She was looking around the room warily. There was something off about all of this.

"There they are!"

The three turned to see guards running down the hall to them. "They found us," Viola stated.

Luffy picked her up from around her waist and leapt through the window. "Let's go rescue Tra-guy!" He glanced behind to make sure that Reecheru was keeping up. Of course she was right behind him.

"Damn you Straw Hats!" Trebol finally reappeared to the group that had been gathering around Usopp. "Tontattas! Thank you for knocking out Sugar. There's no way that I'm letting any of you out of here alive!"

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Merissa smirked. She pulled out a kunai and started twirling it in her hand. Robin took up a fighting pose next to her. "You Tontattas should get out of here," Merissa suggested.

"Please look after Usopp," Robin added.

A number of Tontattas gathered around Usopp and lifted him over their heads. "Let's do this," Leo cheered them on from the front. "Don't let him lay one finger on Usoland!" They all started to run out of the area.

Robin and Merissa were facing off against Trebol. "You guys want to destroy the S.M.I.L.E Factory," Trebol pointed out. "Isn't that right!? Sticky-sticky chain!" A chain formed out of Trebol's goo that covered his body.

"I'll take care of this," Robin announced. Merissa held her ground as Robin used her ability and lifted a large stone slab to use as a shield. The goo chain hit the shield and left the two of them unscathed.

Merissa moved to jump over the slab and start attacking when a voice shouted out from above them. "Wait!" All three of them looked up to see a giant foot slamming down on top of Trebol. The executive just barely managed to dodge out of the way. A giant then stood over Robin and Merissa, looking down at them.

The giant reached out towards the Tontattas running off with Usopp. "You guys are the little people," he noticed. "Let me borrow him for a sec." The giant then gently lifted Usopp from the grip of the Tontattas. They started jumping up and down in an attempt to reach Usopp and get him back.

The giant gently placed Usopp in his upturned hand and stared down at him. "He's hurt so bad," the giant noticed. "He must have fought very hard to save us. He ignored the scoffing noise that Merissa made. The giant turned his head to the humans that had once been toys. They had started gathering around the tower without being noticed by Merissa, Robin or Trebol. "Everyone look! I heard that some of you have been living as a toy for a decade. How painful is that?" He then looked down at Usopp in reverance. "If it weren't for you we would have lived as toys forever. We would have lived our lives as their slaves! It feels as though our lives have been spared." The giant then looked at the gathering crowd once again. "Take a good look, warriors!" The giant lifted Usopp by his arms and held him aloft. "This man is the hero who broke the spell on us!" The giant then held Usopp above his head. "His name is... CAPTAIN USOPP!"

A loud cheer then erupted from the gathering crowd. "Captain Usopp! Thank you!" The Tontattas looked at the humans in confusion and then in joy. They too started cheering for Usopp. All the cheering stopped when the ceiling unexpectedly collapsed. A ray of sunshine streamed in from above. The light beamed directly down on Usopp. "A heavenly light?" one of the men asked.

"Don't tell me," another cried in shock. "That he is a messenger from heaven!"

Merissa burst out laughing at that. Robin put a finger to her lips, trying to shush her. It might prove useful if the freed humans felt like they owed Usopp for freeing them. "Are we witnessing a miracle?" The question broke the dam on Merissa's emotions. She fell forward onto the floor, she was laughing so hard. She just couldn't catch her breath. Robin decided to leave it alone. The crowd obviously wasn't paying them any attention. Although, she was wearing a smirk of her own.

"It's so divine," one onlooker said. "He's like a god."

Usopp cocked his head in an effort to speak. "Hey everybody listen!" someone cried out. "God Usopp is going to say something!"

Merissa's laughter quickly died down after that. "Idiots," she muttered out. "If that chicken is a god then I'm a sea king."

Robin laughed lightly at her. "Let them have this," Robin said. "It would appear that they need something to believe in. Something to help ease the pain of all the suffering they have lived through in slavery." Merissa glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Robin made a fair point. It was easier to accept a monumental loss if you believed that it was a part of a greater good.

Usopp tried to speak, but he was having a hard time of it. "You...people...wi..ll...be...guid...ed...b..y...me." Merissa raised an eyebrow at the statement. She knew that Usopp was an extravagent liar, but this was taking it too far. She was beyond ready to put a stop to it.

"Just wait a moment," Robin said. She stopped Merissa from moving by putting a hand on her shoulder. Robin was watching Usopp very carefully. "I don't think that's what he's trying to say. He's trying to say a lot more, but only certain sounds are coming out."

"How do you know that?" Merissa asked.

"I'm reading his lips," Robin answered. Merissa looked at her in surprise and then back at Usopp. She closed her eyes and opened them back up slowly. The red had returned as she watched Usopp herself. She could clearly read what he was really saying by watching his lips move. " _Put me down,_ _ **you**_ _idiot!_ _ **People**_ _like you are the worst._ _ **Will**_ _you stop? Hey_ _ **be**_ _efy_ _ **guy**_ _, open your blind_ _ **ed**_ _eyes,_ _ **b**_ _lood is all over m_ _ **y**_ _face_ _ **me**_ _athead!"_ Merissa's eyes widened at the realization he was trying to get the giant to put him down, but it came out sounding very different.

A cheer went out from the crowd. They started chanting 'God Usopp' over and over again. The Tontattas, in the mean time, were chanting 'Usoland'. Merissa preferred that to what the humans were chanting. "Guide us God Usopp!" one of the humans demanded. "What do you want us to do!?"

"He's right!"

"You've helped us, now it's our turn to help you! We want to work for you! Please guide us! Show us the way! The action we must take!"

It looked like Usopp was coming to his senses. He stared down at the group of men that were looking up at him in adoration. He blinked a few times. "Then why don't you destroy the factory behind me and rescue our little friends?" His voice was raspy, but it was clear enough to understand.

"I bet he did all of that on purpose," Merissa sniffed. "Making those people believe that this is some divine province."

"Shhh," Robin shushed her.

Two of the men developed feral grins. "At your command!" they cried. The rest of the crowd joined in and let loose a battle cry. Various weapons were raised from swords and spears to pitchforks. Robin and Merissa could only stare at it all in wonder at this point.

Merissa looked back up to Usopp. He was staring down at the people in confusion. "What the hell is wrong with these people?" he asked. He said it low so that no one could hear, but Merissa didn't need to hear. She was able to read his lips still.

"God Usopp gave us guidance! Destroy the factory!" They all started rushing past the giant that was still holding Usopp up. Merissa, though she wasn't fond of the idea that these people were essentially worshipping Usopp now, didn't stop them. The destruction of the factory was their ultimate goal after all. She could see the use of these people now that she wasn't so mad over their false belief.

"We have a problem," Robin spoke. "Trebol is still in the area. He's not going to let the factory be destroyed so easily."

"You call this easy?"

"God Usopp," the giant spoke again. "Leave the rest to us."

"More importantly," Usopp managed to get out. "I want you... to put me down already."

A woman came flying out of nowhere at the moment. She landed on the giant's shoulder and then immediately jumped off. "This way!" she called over her shoulder. The giant turned to look after her. In the process it put Usopp in the direct line of someone else's landing.

A foot firmly planted itself of Usopp's face before jumping off again. "Sorry!" a voice called. It was in too much of a rush to stop and apologize properly.

Robin and Merissa looked up at the sound of the voices. "That's," Robin started.

"What the heck are they doing down here?" Merissa seethed. The two of them started after the fleeing members of the Revolutionary Army. The Tontattas followed after them while carrying Usopp after the giant put him down.

It wasn't long before they caught up to them. "Koala!" Robin made them aware of their presence. She and Koala embraced in a hug. Merissa walked passed them and straight over to Sabo.

"How's it going Merissa?" Sabo asked. Merissa stared at him without saying a word. Sabo's smile melted and he looked at her in question. He could suddenly feel the killing intent coming from her. "Oh shit!" He dodged out of the way of one of Merissa's attacks at the last instant.

"How dare you!" Merissa accused. "You sent us off to join the Straw Hat crew!"

"Is that true?" Robin asked Koala.

"It's true," she confirmed. "But it was more of a decision between Dragon-sama and their own leader. I believe that they refer to her as Hokage. Their actual orders are to join Luffy and your crew as you go on your adventures. You seem to have a knack for getting on the government's nerves so they're going to help you aggravate them more then you usually do."

"That could be fun," Robin grinned. She then turned her attention fully to Sabo. He was holding Merissa at bay by keeping one hand on her head and his torso well out of her reach. "Did you see Luffy?" Robin was speaking as if Merissa wasn't trying to rip off someone's head.

"Yes," Sabo said with a grin. That's when he noticed Usopp being brought over by the Tontattas. "Oh, that's the guy from earlier." He then moved so that Merissa rushed passed him. When she did he grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. "Are you going to stop trying to kill me? You know that you haven't been able to beat me for a while now."

"That's not going to keep me from trying," Merissa snapped. She wrenched herself free from his grip.

While that was going on Robin bent down and picked Usopp up a bit. She had a smile on her face as she said, "He's one of our crew! This is Usopp!" Usopp then muttered something unintelligible.

"He can stay down," Sabo said. He and the others had sweat drops.

The man with green hair, Bortolomeo, then started shouting. "D-d-d-don't tell me that he is..."

"What's wrong with you?" Sabo asked.

Kyros was fighting and beating all of Doflamingo's subordinates. Buffalo used his ability and started flying towards him. Kyros grabbed his neck and gave hit a harsh twist. The sound of bones cracking could be heard. Kyros then threw him out the window. Baby 5 then started attacking with the guns she made out of her own hands. Kyros defended himself against her. When she charged with scythes Kyros blocked her with his single sword and then threw her against the wall.

"Tra-Guy!" The shout drew the attention of everyone still alive in the room. "I'm here to save you!" Luffy was running into the room with a huge smile on his face and Viola tucked under one arm. Behind him Reecheru came forward at a more sedate pace. She was looking over her shoulder to make sure that they hadn't been followed into the room yet.

"Straw Hat?" Baby 5 asked in shock.

"You have no business here, Straw Hat-ya!" Law yelled at him. "What about the factory? Did you destroy it?"

Luffy and Viola ignored him as Viola handed him something. "Here's the key to his handcuffs," she said.

"Oh, oh," Luffy let a little laugh. He was still running forward. "You have everything prepared."

"Wait a minute Straw Hat! Violet!" Luffy turned to look back. Gladius was just making his way into the room. Reecheru stopped in her run and turned to face off against him. "You can't hurt the Young Master!" Gladius froze in his tracks when the sight of Doflamingo's headless body registered in his brain. "Young Master? What happened?"

"You're right about them not hurting your boss," Reecheru said. "Luffy and Viola can't hurt him because someone else already beat them to it." Gladius turned his full attention to her. Kyros broke the chains that were holding the king while Luffy and Viola went up to Law.

"Give me a minute," Luffy was saying. "I'm gonna rescue you!"

"Thanks," Law said. "But the alliance between you guys and myself is over."

Reecheru scoffed at that one. Not taking her eyes off of Gladius she said, "Have you ever heard stories of Luffy doing anything besides what he wants to do? I know that I haven't and I've actually been keeping up with his exploits. Luffy wants to save you, so you're going to be saved."

"Who exactly are you?" Gladius demanded.

"Ah, I suppose a formal introduction is in order. My name is Reecheru Hyuuga. I'm the second child born to the head of the Hyuuga Clan. I'm an Anbu operative under orders from the Hokage of Konohagakure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Baby 5 looked confused.

Luffy let out his famous laugh. "Rae is a ninja," he announced. "She can do all kinds of cool tricks without eating a devil fruit. She's one of the newest members of my crew because I said so."

"The fact that my leader ordered me to join also had nothing to do with it," Reecheru sarcastically stated.

"Of course not," Luffy agreed, not understanding sarcasm. "Even if he..."

"She."

"Didn't tell you to, you'd still be a part of my crew."

"You changed the subject Straw Hat-ya!" Law snapped. "I'm telling you that the alliance is over so get out of here!"

"How selfish," Luffy turned back to Law. "I'll make those decisions, not you, so shut your mouth!"

"That makes you more selfish than me!"

"Hurry and unlock the chains Straw Hat," Viola said.

"Oh yeah," Luffy calmed down. He moved so that he could put the key into the lock on the chains. His hands started shaking as he slowly moved the key forward. He was trying hard not to touch the sea prism stone chains.

"If there's no alliance then we're not on the same side," Law continued. "If you set me free, I'll kill you."

"That won't be possible with me around," Reecheru said. "I can't allow anything to happen to my new captain."

"I'm not talking to you," Law snapped.

"Stop moving!" Luffy yelled. His sudden shout caused the room to grow silent. "It's hard to unlock it since I can't touch Sea Prism Stone!"

"You can do it!" Viola cheered him on. Reecheru tried so hard to not laugh. Leave it to Luffy to diffuse a tense situation with a random outburst.

"You two are not listening to me," Law roared.

Luffy growled as he tried to fit the key in the lock. "I can't do it," he announced. He went to hand the key to Viola. "Why don't you do it?"

"I can't," Viola disagreed. "I'm a devil fruit user too!"

"You're seriously being drawn in to Luffy's theatrics Viola-sama?" Reecheru asked.

A sinister laugh caused everyone to stop what they were doing. Viola and Luffy started looking around. Reecheru jumped back and stood in front of the two of them. She pulled off her sunglasses and put them in a pocket. Her eyes started shifting around the room. She wasn't able to locate the source.

"Shit," Reecheru cursed. "This is not how I wanted to go about this."

Luffy looked over her shoulder to look at her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Byakugan!" Luffy's eyes grew wider as he watched the pupils of Reecheru's eyes grow smaller until they vanished completely. Veins started to protrude from her forehead. Her now completely pale eyes started shifting around the room. Her head snapped down to look at the floor. "EVERYONE MOVE!" Without further warning Reecheru jumped out of the way along with Luffy and Viola. Law was caught up in the attack from the ground, but other than his chair being toppled over he was fine. An stone tentacle sprouted from the floor and then turned into what resembled a human face.

"It's the stone man," Luffy pointed out.

"Pica," Viola stated helpfully.

The head of Doflamingo started talking at that point. "I never thought that I would be taken out like this," it said.

"Young Master!" Baby 5 cried.

"The Young Master is alive," Gladius added.

"How is that even possible?" Riku asked.

"The whole country has been thrown into chaos now that the toys are freed," the head said. "And for whatever reason the Revolutionary Army is here too. The Royal Palace is a mess too. It's a difficult situation. I have no choice but to use 'The Birdcage'."

Law had a sudden look of horror cross his features. "The Birdcage?"

"Right, Law?" the head continued. It started laughing once again. "We need to do something right away."

"Creepy," Kyros lost patience. He charged at the fallen body. "How are you still alive, Doflamingo!?"

"Want me to teach you how to really kill a person?" Doflamingo asked. "This is how you do it."

Reecheru leapt to Kyros and pulled him out of the danger area. The entire upper half of the room was then cut from the base of the palace. "Don't be fooled by it," Reecheru snapped. "It's not the real Doflamingo." All eyes turned to look at her. She had a kunai out and was facing a certain spot in the room.

Where Kyros had been just seconds earlier was a fully intact Doflamingo. He had a leg raised, as if he just finished a kick. He was looking at Reecheru with a serious face. His straight face then turned into a slow smile. He raised his hand to attack. As he did that the headless copy also began to move.

Reecheru threw a kunai over to where Law was and one at her and Kyros' feet. She grabbed a hold of Kyros' cape and performed the needed hand gestures. Just as Doflamingo's attack hit the floor the two disappeared. In the same instant they appeared next to Law and out of immediate danger.

"Sorry," Kyros said after he gained his senses. "I dropped my guard."

Luffy then charged at Doflamingo has he went into second gear. "Gum-Gum..."

Doflamingo kept his grin as he turned to face the oncoming threat. "Armament." A portion of his body turned black as he used his haki.

"Jet Gatling!" Luffy began his attack, fully angered that Doflamingo would use such dirty tricks in a fight. That and his new nakama had been a target. He was paying too much attention to the foe in front of him though. The headless copy snuck up behind Luffy and attacked.

Reecheru jumped between the two and took the attack head on. Luffy's face had changed to horror at the sight. "Rae!" he cried out. As he went to reach for the injured ninja, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Relax Luffy," Reecheru said. Luffy looked to the voice, as did Doflamingo. She hadn't moved from her spot beyond standing up. Her hands were making a specific symbol in front of her. "Don't forget I can do things to help you. Doflamingo isn't the only one that can make clones of himself. Only difference is that mine are a bit more free willed." Two more Reecherus popped out of thin air next to her.

One of the new Reecherus moved and got between Luffy and the presumably real Doflamingo. While Luffy had been distracted by his worry, Doflamingo had readied a punch filled with Haki. The Reecheru clone blocked the punch with a kunai, but she was still thrown across the room. She disappeared when she hit the wall.

Doflamingo was looking down at his fist. Despite the fact that he had been using haki a cut had formed on his knuckles. "Shadow Clones are very real," Reecheru's voice cut through his thoughts. He looked up to see the woman staring at him with her strange eyes. "I give them the base thought or idea. Then they act on their own, provided that the base goal for which they were created is accomplished. That or until I release them. Though that particular clone was given the order to watch Luffy's back, she still struck out at you as she blocked. She attacked of her own will as she fulfilled the base purpose."

"Why are you telling him your techniques?" Kyros asked. "You're giving the enemy valuable information!"

"Not as much as you'd think," Reecheru smirked. Five more clones popped into existence, now there was seven. They were all holding kunai and in a battle stance. "He likes to use a clone puppet, let's see how he likes the tables turned." Two of the clones went to stand next to Luffy. Two went to Viola's side. One Reecheru stood next to Law and two faced off against Doflamingo.

"I've never seen such techniques," Viola stated. She was in complete shock. She had been forced to serve Doflamingo for a decade and she had never heard, let alone seen, him do something like this. "It's like a puppet."

A string that connected the 'head' of the Doflamingo puppet to the real man was seen going from the top of the clone to Doflamingo's finger. Doflamingo stood up straight with a smirk. He gave Reecheru and her clones a once over then turned to look behind him. "King Riku," he said. "Do you remember that feeling you had on that night ten years ago? The day you sliced up your dear citizens and burned down towns."

"I still have nightmares of it every night," Riku admitted. "Yes I remember it. So what?"

"The tragedy that will unfold will not be as small-scale as that," Doflamingo said. His smirk grew more sinister, if that was even possible. He then turned his back on the king again. He was facing both Luffy and Reecheru, acknowledging them as the greater threat.

"What are you planning?" Riku yelled. "I don't want to ever see such a.."

"It's time for you guys to leave," Doflamingo interrupted him. "Pica!" The ground started to shake and the stone head made a strange noise. "Throw these nuisances out!" He then pointed at the two Reecherus that were facing off against him. "All except for that woman."

The floor started tossing and churning, forcing the people and clones into one place. The two Reecherus that Doflamingo had been pointing at found their feet trapped and engulfed by stone. They tried to break free by using their kunai, but the rolling floor made it very difficult. Hands came up and surrounded the group that was being corralled into one place. "Guys!" one of the trapped Raes called.

The hands grabbed Luffy and the others, clones included and threw them out of the side wall of the palace. They all started to fall a great distance. Riku managed to grab part of the rolling stone hand and hang on. "Doflamingo," he cried out. "Don't cause harm to..."

One of the trapped Reecherus disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving only one. Doflamingo smirked over at her, a very self-satisfied look. She scowled at him as she felt herself grow to hate him more. She could hear the pleas of the king.

The hand that the king had grabbed a hold of started shaking violently. As the king fell he continued his plea, "This country anymore!"

"Gum-Gum Balloon!" Luffy took a deep breath and expanded his body. Viola, Kyros, Law and five Reecherus landed on the bloated stomach. King Riku landed a few seconds later.

Doflamingo and his puppet stood at the wall and stared down at them. Gladius and Baby 5 were standing close behind. Doflamingo twitched his hand and his clone fell to it's knees. "Now, let's bring an end to everything." As soon as Doflamingo finished his statement string shot up from his clone and straight into the sky. Doflamingo let out a laugh as this happened.

"Why did you throw them out and not me?" Reecheru demanded. She was scowling over at the three in front of her.

Doflamingo turned and faced his captive. That sinister smirk still on his face. "You have a very unique power," he said. "If it's true that you're not a devil fruit user then I want to know how you do it. You'll become one of my top executives in the family."

"Young Master?" Baby 5 looked at him in shock. "Are you sure that we can trust her?"

"Not yet," Doflamingo agreed with her. He walked up to Reecheru and held her chin between his fingers. "But I have ways of changing that." Reecheru narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"He threw us into the garden of the Rampart Tower," Viola noted. "It would appear that we can't get near Doflamingo as long as Pica is there."

"RAAAAAEEEEE!" Luffy shouted up to the palace. "GIVE ME BACK MY NAKAMA MINGOOOOOOO!" He continued to yell at the palace.

Law was staring at the sky when he noticed something unsettling. Strings were shooting up from the palace. "It's started," he said. "The Birdcage! Straw Hat-ya, your friend is not important right now."

"What did you just say!?" Luffy snapped. All the others turned to look at him.

Viola noticed that Law was looking at none of them. She followed his line of sight. The string that was shooting into the sky caught her attention. Once they reached a certain point they started spreading across the whole island.

"The Birdcage has us all trapped in here," Law said. "We're in just as much danger, if not more, than your friend."

"What do you mean by that Tra-guy?" Luffy got right in Law's face. Even the five Reecherus closed in around him.

"Before the truth of this island is exposed to the world," Law started. "Doflamingo is going to kill everyone here."

Doflamingo stepped away from Reecheru with a laugh. He then moved his hand as if he was playing with a puppet. Screams and explosions started to fill the air. "Parasite String!" His voice was coldly calm as he continued to move his hand. Reecheru was about to demand what he was doing when shaking started up once again.

"The ground is moving again," Luffy cried. One of the Reecherus grabbed him by the arm to help steady him. Viola, Kyros and Riku also had help staying on their feet. Law didn't get that help since he was already on his back. "What's going on?"

"It's Pica," Law announced. "Since he can merge with stones he can also shift the geography of the island."

Luffy grit his teeth and looked back to the palace. "It's going away somewhere," he pointed out. "Mingo still hasn't given back the real Rae. RAAAAAEEEEE! STOP ROYAL PALACE! GIVE MY BACK MY NAKAMA!"

"You should be grateful," Doflamingo said to Reecheru. "You're safe here in the palace while the citizens are all killing each other."

"I find no satisfaction in such information," Reecheru snapped. She was full blown out glaring at Doflamingo.

"I think I like that look on your face," he said. "It reminds me of a wild animal that's just asking to be tamed."

Reecheru's glare melted into a smirk. "Well then," she said cheerfully. "It's with extreme pleasure that I disappoint you."

"What?" Doflamingo's smirk disappeared in his confusion. Reecheru's own smirk didn't fade as she disappeared in a puff of smoke. A vein then throbbed in Doflamingo's forehead. "That was just a clone? Where's the real one?"

"I couldn't tell it was a clone," Baby 5 stated.

"It's haki felt as though it was the real person," Gladius added.

Doflamingo strode over to his transponder snail and picked up the mic. He calmed himself down after the realization they had only captured a clone. "Citizens and guests of Dressrosa," he started. "I could have reigned over you all with terror from the start. After finding out the truth, I bet a great number of you want to kill me right now. That's why I prepared a game for you. It's a game to kill me. I'm in the royal palace. I won't run or hide. If you can take my life, the game ends there, of course. But there is another way to finish the game. Here is how: you kill all the people that I'm going to name now. Also, I will award a large prize for killing each one of them. Kill or get killed. Everyone in this country will become hunters. The only way for you to survive is to kill somebody!"


	21. Bounty in the City

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty: Bounty in the City

"Nobody's gonna come help," Doflamingo continued with his speech. "Nobody can get out of this Birdcage. You can't make contact with anyone out there. You're all going to die and no one out there will know it. Your neighbors who are running wild will keep harming others randomly. It doesn't matter if it's their family or close friends or citizens they swore to protect." He then let out his now familiar sinister laugh. "Even if you run or hide, there is no safe place in the cage. The terror of the Birdcage will go on for days. It's a matter of which happens sooner. You all die or you finish the game." He started laughing in an insane manner.

Robin and Merissa stood with the members of the Revolutionary Army. They were listening to the broadcast Doflamingo was giving off. Each one was deep in thought, thinking of ways to get out of or diffuse the situation. A man in a kimono ran up to them. "Robin-dono," he called out.

"Kin'emon," Robin greeted. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

Kin'emon ignored Robin and focused in on what Rebecca was wearing, or lack there of. "An iron breast band?" he asked. "This is quite a foreign culture." He developed a lecherous smirk and blushed.

Merissa swooped behind him and bashed the back of his skull not at all lightly. Kin'emon's eyes popped out of his head as he fell forward. He landed face first on the hard floor. "Keep your mind and eyes out of the gutter," she yelled. In her hand was a large iron fan that most wondered where she got it from.

Bortolomeo stood over Usopp and was comparing his bloody features to the wanted poster he had of Sniperking. He even pulled out a spy glass to get a better look at Usopp's features. A look of elation overcame him as he seemed to figure something out. He turned to look at the others. "Robin-senpai," he called out. "Let me be your slave." He shook his head quickly. "I mean, can I ask you something?" The group turned to look at him. He pointed down to Usopp. "That guys nose, it looks a lot like Sniperking-senpai's."

"It's him," Robin answered without Bortolomeo voicing a specific question. "His name is Usopp."

"There he is!" Bortolomeo cheered out. He started going on about the exploits of the Straw Hat crew back on Enies Lobby.

"What are you excited for?" Sabo snapped. "You geek! Shut your mouth!"

Hack looked down at his bandaged hand. "I got my hand broken by this fool?"

Kin'emon lowered the handful of unconscious Tontattas he had rescued from the lift to the main group gathered around Usopp. "I leave them in your care," he said. "Although they're little, they're quite good warriors."

"Thank you Topknotland," Leo said.

Wicka was talking to one of the other Tontattas in charge. "We found them passed out in the hallway of the palace and on the lift," she explained.

Merissa came down and knelt next to them. "If things in the palace are bad enough to take down warriors as fast as you guys," she muttered. Merissa's gaze turned up towards the hole that the factory had disappeared through. "Rae, what kind of mess have you gotten involved in this time?"

Doflamingo continued his speech as more screams rose up from the town. "Scream! Hate! Suffer! You people are innocent victims!" His laugh reverberated through the town.

King Riku put his head into his hands as he began to cry. "Stop it," he cried out. "Doflamingo!" Viola went up to him and tried to comfort him.

Zoro approached the group at that point. He was carrying Law's sword, which he had somehow found in his wanderings. He gave it to Luffy since Law was otherwise unable to wield it. Zoro then turned to look at one of the Reecherus gathered around. "Are you alright?" he asked.

The one he spoke to opened her mouth to speak when Luffy interrupted. "It's horrible Zoro!" Luffy got in his face. "All the Raes here are just clones. The real Rae is still in the palace!"

"What!?" Zoro growled.

"It's true mister swordsman," Viola said sadly. "While we were successful in rescuing Law, Doflamingo took Rae-san captive instead."

"How could this have happened!?" Zoro took hold of Luffy's shirt and pulled him up so they were face to face. A severe scowl crossed his features. "How could you let that happen? You're the captain, you're supposed to protect your nakama!"

"I know that," Luffy yelled. He had tears streaming down his eyes. "I swear that we'll get her back."

"Um, guys..." One of the Raes tried to get their attention. The other four started giggling at them. "It's not as bad as you think it is." Luffy and Zoro ignored her as they continued to argue.

"Do you mean to say you know what's going on with the original?" Viola asked. She was at least paying attention.

"Think!" Doflamingo was still speaking, ignoring all the chaos around him. "You either come to kill me or side with us Don Quixote Family and punish the twelve fools that rebel against me. If you make the wrong decision the game will not end. I'll pay a hundred million berries for each star rating. These are the criminals of Dressrosa! First, the one-stars..." Images of Rebecca, Robin, Kin'emon, Viola and Franky appeared in place of Doflamingo's own image. "Next, the two-stars..." The next pictures were of Kyros and Zoro.

Doflamingo started laughing once again. "As for the key figures of each group, I give them three-stars..." The next three images were of Sabo, Luffy, Law and King Riku.

Sabo's jaw had dropped, nearly hitting the ground. Merissa broke out in uncontrollable laughter at the image. "They knew about you already," Hack pointed out.

"I'm a target too!?" Sabo was in complete shock. Behind all of them, Usopp relaxed a little as his name didn't come up.

"Plus there is the man who pissed me off the most today!" Doflamingo continued with his game rules. "It's all his fault that you people have to play such a bloody game. The one who kills him will get five hundred million berries!" Usopp's image then took over the viewing screens.

Luffy and Zoro stopped in their argument and looked at the screen in the sky in shock and fear. "I really hope Merissa isn't with him," one of the Raes mused.

Usopp picked up his head from the ground and his eyes were bugging. The sound of a blade being drawn drew his attention. Merissa had pulled out a kunai. Koala and Sabo quickly went to stand between her and Usopp.

"Now that's not very nice," Sabo chastised. "I thought that Usopp was supposed to be one of your nakama now."

"I'm a ninja," Merissa argued. "I get paid to do jobs. Even an S-class mission won't pay nearly as much as me bringing him in will. Consider it an occupational hazard."

"What will Rae-chan say about this?" Koala put her hands up. She waved them back and forth in between them. "You know very well that Rae won't let you abandon the current mission because you'll make more money from a different one."

"Who's going to tell her?" Hack pulled out a baby snail and started dialing it. "Okay, fine! Just quit being a bunch of tattletales. I won't bring the chicken's head in."

"You promise to help get him out of here safely?" Koala egged.

"Yeah sure," Merissa said dispassionately.

"You have to take it seriously," Koala snapped.

"Alright already," Merissa relented. "I'll make sure that no one collects the bounty. After all, if I can't have it then no one else can either."

"How very businesslike of you," Sabo rolled his eyes.

Merissa pointed a finger off to the side. A group of thugs were gathering around with very greedy grins on their faces. "You may want to watch out for them though."

Koala moved into a fighting stance, back to back with Sabo. "Sabo-kun, what should we do?"

Sabo looked down to where Robin was kneeling next to Usopp. He then pointed behind him and up. "Let's get everyone above ground," he ordered. "Everybody! Run!"

"They were worshipping me a few minutes ago," Usopp cried.

"Funny how money changes someone's point of view," Merissa smirked.

"We don't want to hear that from you," Hack snapped.

"Please run," Usopp begged the Tontattas. The little people quickly lifted him and took off running. The others weren't too far behind.

"Robin-dono!" Kin'emon caught her attention. "I'm going to go and look for Kanjuro now. Please excuse me!" He started running in a different direction as Robin called for him to be careful.

"There is one other player to the game," Doflamingo kept going with his speech. "This player is not to be killed. For six hundred million berries you will bring this one to me alive." An image of Reecheru went across the screen. It showed her without the sunglasses on. "You have no time to wonder what to do. People are falling and towns are burning by the moment. Either you kill me or the twelve criminals. The extra player is a bonus. If she is brought to me then you will earn extra time to kill the criminals. NOW! THE GAME IS ON!" Doflamingo closed the announcement with his laughter.

Luffy was thoroughly confused now. If Doflamingo already had Rae why would he need to put a bounty on her? Four of the Reecherus disappeared in a puff of smoke. The only remaining one started walking in the direction of the palace.

"Where are you going?" Law asked.

Rae looked back over at them. "You heard him right? If I turn myself in then it will buy a little extra time for the people." She replaced the sunglasses back over her eyes.

"You mean to say that you're the real one?" Kyros asked.

"Of course it's me," Rae rolled her eyes. "Like I was really going to let myself be captured so easily by a blood thirsty psychotic?"

Luffy launched himself at Reecheru. "You're alright!" His arms and legs wrapped completely around her. "I was so worried about you!"

"I could tell," Reecheru grinned. "But your concern wasn't really needed." She managed to pry Luffy off of her.

"Why didn't you say you were with us already?" Zoro demanded.

"I tried to," Rae rolled her eyes. "You and Luffy were so engrossed in your argument that I couldn't get a word in edgewise."

"Rae-san," Viola approached her. "I know the others weren't paying that much attention to it, but you mustn't go."

"Go where?" Luffy asked.

"She was going to go to Doflamingo," Law said. "Pay more attention Straw Hat-ya!"

Luffy snapped to look Reecheru in the face. "I refuse!" he snapped out. "You're not going over there to kick his ass without me!"

"That's not what he meant," Viola pointed out. "Rae-san wasn't going to go and attack Doflamingo. She was going to let him actually take her captive this time."

"Are you crazy!?" Luffy's eyes bugged as he pointed to Reecheru.

"Not the person I was expecting to hear that from," Rae smirked. Her smile faded as she turned serious. "You heard what he said when Doflamingo was announcing the rules to this sick game of his. If I'm turned in then it will buy the rest of you time to figure out a way to escape."

"I don't want to escape," Luffy declared. "I want to beat Mingo's ass."

Zoro went up behind Reecheru and put an arm around her waist. "Don't worry captain," he said. "I won't let her out of my sight."

Luffy relaxed and nodded his head. "Good, it's decided then."

"No it isn't," Rae argued. "You're not listening to reason."

"Why would Doflamingo want you alive and not the rest of us?" Kyros asked.

"He wants to learn my techniques," Reecheru answered. "That and to bring me into his sick family."

Viola sucked in a sharp breath. "How do you know that?" she asked.

"When I use the Shadow Clone Jutsu something very unique and interesting takes place," Reecheru explained. "It's not utilized too often in recent generations, but the uses for the technique back during the great wars was staggering. A clone could be used to spy on the enemy. If it was found and destroyed the information it learned would still be sent to the original."

"I don't get it," Luffy looked confused.

"I suppose I could do a demonstration," Rae agreed. While Zoro still kept a grip on her, she created one clone. The clone approached Viola and motioned for the two of them to step away from the group.

"Where are they going?" King Riku demanded. The two disappeared behind a tree.

"They're just going to play a game where I can't see them," Rae explained. It didn't take long for Viola to return without the clone. She stood in front of the group, unsure of what to do next. Reecheru dug into her pocket and pulled out a few coins. "I can't believe that my clone made a bet with you," she growled. She gave the money over to Viola. The others were beyond confused at this point. "The two of them played a quick game of chance," Rae explained. "My clone made a bet that she would win. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Viola-sama won the game and I had to settle the debt."

"How do you know that?" Luffy asked. "Did you see what happened?"

"No Straw Hat-ya," Law snapped. "It's a rather ingenious technique. When her clone disappeared she learned everything that her clone did when she wasn't around."

"Which is how I know Doflamingo's plan for me," Reecheru agreed. "The clone he captured got him to tell her his plans. When she felt it was a convenient time, she released herself from the jutsu. What Doflamingo told her came flooding to me in that same instant."

The group ran up the incline that the factory had disappeared through. They were being chased by recently freed people. Bortolomeo turned around and activated a barrier, causing their pursuers to run straight into it. "Stop following us," he ordered. The others continued to run without looking back.

The sound of a baby snail ringing in her pocket drew Robin's attention. The snail had a green tint to it with a scar over one eye. "Zoro?" she answered.

"Yeah," was the response.

"Where are you now?" Robin asked.

"I'm with Luffy and the others. We're on, what they call, the king's plateau. Thing's are getting messy, aren't they?" Zoro held the snail in one hand and the other still had a grip on Reecheru to keep her from leaving.

"Is that Robin?" Luffy asked. He snatched the snail out of Zoro's hand. "Did you see it? Mingo is such a jerk, isn't he!? But Usopp's bit was hilarious."

"What did you say, Luffy!?" Usopp yelled.

"Rebecca was also on the list. I wonder if she's alright."

"Rebecca is..." Robin started.

"I'm here," Rebecca interrupted. "Lucy!?"

"Oh! It's good that you're there," Luffy smiled. "The soldier is here..." He looked up and around, but Kyros had disappeared. He turned and looked at Zoro and Rae. "Where did the soldier go?"

"Soldier-san?" Rebecca asked. "He turned into a human too, didn't he? Tell me Lucy, what kind of man is he?"

Luffy looked confused for a moment. "'What kind of man'? What are you talking about? That one-legged soldier was your father! He's the old man the statue is of." Rebecca started crying over the information. "I'm happy for you," Luffy continued. "The soldier guy has gone somewhere now, but listen to me Rebecca. Don't cry yet! I won't let the soldier die. You have to stay safe too. I feel bad that I couldn't let you have the Flare-Flare Fruit that you wanted. But I promise that I'll kick Doflamingo's ass for you! So stay with my nakama. I'm gonna bring an end to this stupid game in no time. So survive, okay!?"

"Yes," Rebecca agreed. She was struggling to stop the tears. Luffy turned and glared at the palace.

"Luffy," Robin took over the conversation. "Who's with you now?"

"I'm with Zoro, Rae and Tra-guy," Luffy answered. "And..." Luffy turned to look at the two who were still there with them.

"Riku Doldo the third," Viola spoke up. "And I'm Viola."

"Okay, so there are six of you." Robin was thinking out loud. "On my side we have..." She looked up to get an accurate account of those around her. She made a noise of shock when she saw Koala and Sabo leave without so much as a word.

"What's wrong Robin?" Luffy asked.

"Anyway," Robin decided to keep that information to herself. "I'm going to move there with Usopp, Merissa and Rebecca."

"Listen to me Luffy, Zoro!" Merissa's voice came over. "If you let Reecheru out of your sight she'll do something dumb. Like go and turn herself into Doflamingo to buy time. Don't you dare deny it girl, I know you! You're family has a nasty habit of hurting yourselves to protect others!"

"Hold on just a minute," Reecheru protested.

"She already tried that," Luffy said instead. "Don't worry about it though. Zoro has a hold of her. He'll make sure that she's safe."

"I bet he will," Merissa's voice sounded like it was smirking. "I also bet that she's not complaining too much."

"Watch it woman!" Reecheru snapped. Zoro looked down at Reecheru. She shook her head and looked up at him. He trusted her enough to let her out of his grip. Not one to betray that trust, Reecheru only moved a step away from him, though he did keep a close eye on her.

"I would watch it," Merissa said. "If only to report to the head of your clan how you fell for someone that's not a ninja."

"Stop acting stupidly," Law snapped. "What are you going to do now Straw Hat-ya? Our plan was to destroy the S.M.I.L.E Factory and provoke a conflict between Doflamingo and Kaido. If we kill Doflamingo now, Kaido will direct all of his anger over loosing S.M.I.L.E.S at us. Then we'll have to fight face-to-face with the angry Emperor!"

Reecheru let out a sigh through her nose and closed her eyes. Zoro was looking down with a frown on his face. Likewise, Luffy was also frowning, but he was looking Law in the eye. "That's not an issue now," Luffy answered. Law looked at him in confusion. That's when he lost it and snapped at him. "Take a good look at this country! If I stop now, what's going to happen to it!?" Zoro made a show of holding his Wado. He unsheathed it a little ways, then resheathed it with a loud snap.

Luffy went over to Reecheru and Zoro. He used his left arm and grabbed them both. He tucked Reecheru closest to his torso as he held onto to Zoro around his neck. Reecheru was firmly pressed between the two of them. He had Law's sword in his right hand, but grabbed hold of Law around the neck in that arm as well. "Alright," Luffy announced. "Let's go!"

"I have to say that I'm not entirely comfortable with this," Reecheru said.

"Wait," Law interrupted calmly. "I'm still cuffed."

"They'll come off," Luffy dismissed.

"No they won't!" Law yelled.

"I'm gonna get the key," Viola stated.

"Do you know where it is?" Law asked.

"When we fell I saw," Viola answered. She turned her head and looked around the area a little. "It must be somewhere on this plateau. I'll find it and..." The sound of Luffy yelling cut her off. "What!?"

Luffy was running full speed for the edge of the plateau. "How are we gonna get there?" Zoro asked calmly.

"You're way too calm for this," Reecheru snapped down at him.

"Go straight!" Luffy answered.

"He's not going to..." Viola cried.

"No way..." King Riku was in disbelief.

As Luffy raced for the edge, Zoro and Law became more distressed. "There has to be a better way to do this!" Reecheru screamed.

"Wait for me Mingo!" Luffy yelled. Zoro glared up at Luffy while Law looked at the fast approaching ground in shocked fear. Reecheru hid her face in Zoro's back and grabbed at his jacket. Zoro stopped glaring at Luffy long enough to look at her. He could only see the top of her head, but he could tell that Reecheru wasn't used to being thrown through the air like he was. It came with the terrority of having Luffy as a captain.

Luffy started taking in a large amount of air. His body started blowing up like a balloon, much like he did when he saved the group falling from the palace. Zoro reached behind him and pulled Reecheru into his own arms. It was a little more sturdy than fully relying on Luffy to take care of her. The group came down quickly. Zoro grit his teeth when he noticed that Luffy was going to land on some people below.

Before Luffy hit the ground the people dodged out of the way. Luffy hit the ground and then bounced high into the air again. He started spinning out of control. Zoro tightened his grip on Reecheru. "If I'm not sick by the end of this I'm going to kick his ass," she groaned out.

"Get in line," Zoro smirked.

"Law!" One of the people below started shouting.

"How could you show your face here after everything, you shitty brat!?" Another voice was yelling at them.

"I think our crippled friend has some fans," Reecheru groaned.

Luffy landed in a crouch. He barely touched the ground when Zoro leapt away from him in a blur. Law was still being held by Luffy, only now he was upside down. "Hey that's..." A crowd started to gather around the newly grounded team. "That's Straw Hat Luffy, Trafalgar Law and Pirate Hunter!" Various weapons were pointed at all of them.

Reecheru pulled her face away from Zoro's chest. She briefly wondered how she went from hiding in his back to his chest. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and was holding her above ground.

"That's the woman the Young Master wants alive?" a high pitched voice announced. Reecheru looked to see a blond boy in a green shirt, hot pants and high heels standing there with a hand to his mouth in a girlish way.

"This is the WORST place to land," Luffy freaked.

"Gee," Reecheru rolled her eyes. "Ya think!?"

"Hey Straw Hat-ya! When I get uncuffed you're going to be the first one I kill," Law announced.

Reecheru looked over at him. "Get in line," she grinned. Zoro set her down and let her step away from him. She pulled out a set of kunai and went into a fighting stance.

Following her lead, Zoro pulled out two of his swords. "I tell you," he said. "There's no good spot to land here since everyone in this country is our enemy." He looked over to the other. "Anyway, we've got to run."

"Right!"

The group then started running, going in three different directions. Zoro went one way, Luffy another and Reecheru the correct way. "Zoro!" Luffy yelled out. "That's not the right way!"

"You're going the wrong way too Straw Hat-ya!" Law snapped.

"You guys!" Reecheru drew their attention. "What the heck are you doing? We've got to go this way!" She gave up trying to call them when they kept running futher away. She rushed to catch up.

"Don't let the criminals get away! There's two three-stars and one two-stars. There's also the woman with the six-star!"

"I'll bring her to Doflamingo!"

"Like hell," Zoro growled. He leapt off of the path they were running on to cut down the one that made that statement. He was soon running again, only now he was running as close to Reecheru as his drawn swords would allow.

"Was that really necessary?" Rae asked. "I could have handled it on my own." Zoro only shrugged at her as they kept running.

The man in high heels suddenly appeared next to Luffy and Law. "Ah! Brother Law! It's so nice to see you."

"Who's the fairy?" Reecheru asked. Zoro smirked and a small, choked laugh leaked out.

"Who is he?" Luffy asked. "Do you know him?"

"That's Dellinger," Law announced. "Don't underestimate him, he's..." Before he could finish Dellinger had jumped into the air. Luffy barely managed to dodge a kick that was directed at his head.

"Not bad," Dellinger laughed.

Luffy looked to glare at him, but ripples in the ground drew his attention. Not wanting to find out what it was he took off running again. Hands shot out from the ripples in the ground like they would from water and grabbed Luffy's ankles. "I'm caught," Luffy announced. "The strange guy came swimming from the ground."

"Do it Vise," Senor Pink looked up.

A large man was seen floating over Luffy and Law's heads. "Run," Law snapped at Luffy. "He's a super weight human!"

"Let go of my feet," Luffy growled. Luffy stretched his caught legs and dodged most of the impact. "My leg is stuck," he complained. He tried to pull himself free.

Dellinger appeared above the two. "I'm not going to miss this time," he declared. He pulled his leg back, getting ready. "Pistol High Heel!" Just as he was starting the kick a black shoe covered foot kicked him hard in the middle of his back. It threw him off balance and he ended up kicking the one named Vise. Vise let out a grunt of pain and Dellinger cried that it was too heavy.

The kick had moved Vise off of Luffy enough for him to break free. "Great," Luffy cheered as he stood. "I'm free!"

"Watch out next time," Zoro said. "Let's go!" He turned around to run. When he did he saw that a wall of pirates had blocked their path and Reecheru was in a fighting stance in front of them.

"You're worth one billion and four hundred thousand in total," the leader announced. "We'll be taking the money!"

"Maybe we should turn ourselves in," Reecheru said thoughtfully. "That is a lot of dough." Zoro tapped the hilt of Shusui on top of her head. "It was only a suggestion."

"Kill the three men!" someone shouted.

Reecheru jumped into the group and started attacking, Zoro close behind. Bodies went flying out of the way. All too soon they were blocked again. This time it was by citizens of Dressrosa. "Damn," Zoro cursed. "They're all a bunch of pains in the ass! But is it okay to chop them up? There are some civilians too."

"Of course it's not okay," Reecheru snapped. "They're just trying to save themselves and their home. Not a single one of them has said they're after the money."

"It'll be fine," Luffy said. "I'll just use my haki and..."

"Stop it," a hoarse voice broke in. The group of civilians turned around to look at the newcomer. The blind navy admiral was approaching them. Zoro grit his teeth and prepared his swords the closer he came.

Luffy's group stood in front of Fujitora in a silent stand off. Zoro angled himself that he could strike at the admiral and protect Reecheru at the same time. The silence was palpable until, "Get out of my way!" Luffy was yelling and angry. "I'm going to kick Doflamingo's ass!"

"You are quite brash," Fujitora said calmly. "But, I'm not going to step aside." He held his sword in front of him.

Luffy stood up straight and turned serious. "You want to fight?"

"What an unpleasant chore this is," Fujitora lamented. He turned to face Reecheru at that point. "You, miss, are not yet considered to be associated with the Straw Hats. You could walk away from all of this. If you come over here we in the navy could protect you from whatever plot is set against you."

"Thanks all the same," Reecheru narrowed her eyes. "But I think I have a better chance sticking with my nakama." Luffy grinned and let out a small laugh. Zoro gave a smirk at the marines, like he was gloating.

"How unfortunate," Fujitora sighed.

Luffy dropped Law none too gently on the ground. He raised a fist in front of him and covered it in armament haki. He then rushed at Fujitora. The admiral blocked Luffy's punch with is sword. The shockwave that resulted from the blow caused the weaker people to be pushed back. Reecheru and Zoro stood firmly planted in their postition behind their captain.

Merissa ran with the others through the destroyed Colosseum. They were still being pursued by former toys. "Leave me alone," Usopp pleaded. He was still being carried by the Tontattas.

"You really only have yourself to blame you know," Merissa smiled. "If you hadn't announced so many times what your name was or who you were affiliated with then you wouldn't be so recognizable."

"You're not helping," Usopp cried. "But I suppose, when you're famous like me you should come to expect so many people coming after you."

"So cool!" That caused the Tontattas to start clapping for their hero. In the process they let him fall onto his back.

"Stop fooling around and hurry up," Robin called back.

"How can we get to the plateau?" Rebecca asked.

"Because of the ground shifting earlier," Merissa pointed out. "The plateau and Colosseum are next to each other."

"That's right," Robin agreed. "In fact, they're now connected. If we climb there we can meet with the others."

"Then we should hurry," Merissa looked behind. "Our bounty hunters are not only gaining on us, but gaining in number as well."

"I'll handle this with one blow," Hack declared. He stayed behind and used his Fishman Karate to keep the hunters at bay.

More hunters came at the running group from the stands. Robin got ready to fend them off. As the men jumped to attack them a transparent barrier formed between them and their goal. Bortolomeo stood there with his fingers crossed, laughing. "Bortolomeo," Robin acknowledged.

Bortolomeo then started fangirling on them. "I'm super excited to hear Robin-senpai say my name," he cheered. He then motioned with his hand towards the plateau. "I'll hold them off here. Please go ahead with Sniperking-senpai."

"Thank you," Robin and the others started running again. As Bortolomeo was freaking out about her thanking him Usopp passed by him with a wave.

Luffy had a severe look on his face as he stared at Fujitora. "Don't stand in my WAY!" Luffy then had to jump away quickly. The ground in front of Fujitora, where Luffy had just been, suddenly started to sink due to an enormous pressure.

"You used that strange technique again!" Zoro charged at Fujitora and attacked him with two swords.

"How do we climb up there?" Leo asked. They had made it to the point where the /Coloseum and plateau connected.

"Leave it to me," Robin said. "Cien Fleurs! Spider Net!" A net of Robin's arms stretched from the Colosseum to the top of the plateau. The Tontattas applauded her skill, dropping Usopp again in the process. "Leo, you guys go first."

"You got it!"

Merissa turned to the two that were guarding the way they had come from. "Hack!" she called out. "Chicken-boy! We have a way up!"

"That's good," Hack moved to join them.

"Who the hell are you calling a chicken?"

"If it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck," Merissa smirked.

"Now you're calling me a duck!?"

"You're kind of missing the point."

The ground of the entire island started shaking once again. It sent everyone into another panic. Reecheru took off her sunglasses and activated her Byakugan once again. "This is kind of bad," she said. Luffy was looking at her in question. Reecheru deactivated her technique while replacing her sunglasses. She looked over at Luffy with a frown. "You'll see in a minute."

Buildings began to rise with a hill emerging from the streets. The weaker buildings fell apart and trees toppled over. People were rushing to get out of the way. Some people were unfortunate enough to actually be in some of those buildings.

Zoro looked up from his stalemate with Fujitora. He jumped away and lowered his swords. He stood there in open shock. The moving hills grew larger and larger until they were starting to take shape. Luffy and Law were in the same state of shock. Reecheru moved closer to where Zoro stood. If they needed to move, it would have to be fast. Very quickly the stone man's image defined itself out of the stone. It was as big as a mountain.

"What the hell is that!?" Luffy shouted.

Zoro's face went from shocked to impassive. "That's..."

"Pica!" Law looked like he was ready to run.

Once the ground stopped shaking the 'mountain' started talking in a very high pitched voice. It carried all the way across the island. "Now, those of you who rebel against our family..."

"What?" Luffy looked surprised. A smile was starting to stretch across his face. He wanted to stay serious, but with that voice he just couldn't. Even Zoro was having a hard time keeping from laughing. Reecheru's eyes widened in her own surprise. Not feeling shy about her actions, it was more important not to be seen, she pressed her face into Zoro's back. Her body started shaking in her effort to keep from laughing.

"I'm gonna fight you!" The high pitched voice declared in a tone of finality.

That's when the dam broke for Luffy. Any laughter he was able to hold in was immediately spat out. He started laughing uncontrollably and loudly. "His voice! It's so high," he laughed out. He held his stomach and bent over as he continued to laugh. The members of the Doflamingo army froze in sheer dread. They stared in horror as Luffy continued to laugh and point upwards. They charged up to him and got in his face to try and shush him. "But it totally doesn't fit!" Luffy only continued to laugh despite their best efforts. "What a funny voice!"

Pica was seeing red from the insult. "Straw Hat!" he yelled in anger.

That didn't help in the slightest. In fact in had the opposite effect of what Pica wanted. Luffy fell onto his back and only laughed harder. His legs were kicking up and down. "P-p-p-please stop," Luffy laughingly begged.

"Oi, oi," one of the D-goons said. "Stop laughing Straw Hat!"

"Pica-sama is very sensitive about his high-pitched voice," another added. "If he runs wild in that massive body..." One of them then screamed when Pica started to raise his fist.

Luffy stopped laughing when one of the D-goons pointed at him. "You idiot," he snapped at him. "You made Pica-sama mad!"

"How can you guys not laugh at it?" Luffy's voice still had a bit of laughter in it. A sign of his now extremely good mood.

"We can't," another screamed out. "It's because we don't want to die!"

"Then it sucks to be you if you just stand there," Reecheru's own laughter filled voice spoke up. It was more quiet and subdued than Luffy's, but it was still apparent that she had gotten a good laugh in as well. A smile was stretched across her features. She was still holding onto the back of Zoro's jacket.

He looked back at her with a pleasant smirk. "You keep grabbing onto me," he said. "I'm starting to think that you like me."

"Don't be absurd," Reecheru scoffed. If it wasn't for the smile on her face Zoro would have been insulted. "Of course I do!" Zoro nearly fell where he stood. Of all the things she had said and done that day... It was getting to the point that Zoro couldn't brush it off as casual flirting anymore.

"Now's not the time to be figuring out your love lives," Law snapped. It drew everyones attention back to the mountain that was going to fall on them. Luffy picked him up and started running again. Zoro and Reecheru were running alongside.

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled at him. "You have to stop messing with our enemies.."

"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY!" A high pitched squeal cut Zoro off.

Zoro cupped a hand to his mouth to cover up his laughter. Reecheru was laughing quietly as she kept running. "See?" Luffy asked him with a grin. "You can't help laughing either!"

"You guys..." Law growled at the three of them. The fist started coming down faster on them. When Luffy noticed he started taking it seriously and let out a small cry of fear. Zoro and Reecheru had moved a little ways ahead of them. "Run," Law ordered. "It's going to crush you!"

"I am running," Luffy argued. He never noticed the iron pole sticking up from the ground. It caught a hold of the chain holding Law. The force of the sudden stop not only yanked Law out of Luffy's grip, it also caused Luffy to fall backwards.

Zoro and Reecheru skid to a stop when they heard Luffy cry out in surprise. "Luffy!" Zoro called.

Luffy looked up to see the fist coming down. He looked over to Zoro and Reecheru. It looked like Reecheru was starting to come and help him. "Get out of here!" Luffy yelled as he waved his hand.

Zoro caught Reecheru around the waist and jumped as far from the falling fist as he could. "Luffy!" Reecheru cried. She had a hand stretched out, as if she would be able to reach him that way.

When the fist landed it forced a lot of air to rush through the city. Many people were thrown from the force of it. This included Zoro and Reecheru. "Luffy!" Zoro called frantically. He still kept a firm grip on Rae. She was staring at the destruction in horror. One of her new friends had just been crushed.


	22. Allies Against Doflamingo

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-one: Allies Against Doflamingo

The shaking caused Robin's group to cling to the net with all their might. One of the Tontattas started crying out. His grip was slipping from Usopp's coat. "I won't let you fall," he cried. Despite the little guy's best efforts, Usopp still ended up falling. Leo jumped into action. He caught Usopp by the nose. The other Tontattas caught Leo, forming a 'chain' of little people.

Not worried by a 'little' shaking, Merissa pulled out her camera snail and took a picture of Usopp hanging there by his nose. "That was so great," she grinned. "If I can't get the five hundred million then blackmail will work just as well."

"Thanks Leo," Usopp said nasally.

"That was close," Leo sighed.

"What caused all of that shaking?" Usopp asked.

"Most likely something you don't want to know about," Merissa said. She was casually putting the snail away in it's pouch.

"Why do you have a camera snail?" Bortolomeo asked.

"I used to work undercover for the Revolutionary Army," Merissa answered. "Camera snails came in handy when you couldn't sneak a lot of confidential documents out of a government building."

Zoro cut a large boulder in half. It had been blocking his and Reecheru's escape from the small space they had been trapped in when Pica's fist landed. He was crouched down, holding Reecheru under him to protect her from falling rubble. Shusui was extended out from when he cut the boulder. As Zoro stood up he allowed Reecheru to stand as well. The two looked around, taking stock of the area.

"Where is he?" Reecheru muttered. She took off her glasses. Zoro was staring at her now. "Byakugan!" He was shocked when the pupils in Reecheru's eyes vanished. When she saw his look it dawned on her. "That's right, you've never really seen me use this technique before. It will help me find the energies unique to Luffy and Law." She turned back to the town and started walking forward. Zoro followed close behind, keeping an eye out on the now desolate area.

"All this with a single blow," Zoro commented. "Luffy!" he called out. "Law!" He and Reecheru stopped walking as the destruction really sunk in.

"Oi!" a voice called out to them. "Zoro! Rae!" The two looked up. Luffy was hanging by a lightning rod caught on his shirt high on a crumbling building. One of his hands held onto Law's sword as he waved them above his head. He legs were wrapped around a drooping Law. "Hey! We're up here!"

"How did you get up there?" Reecheru asked. Her eyes went back to normal as she put her sunglasses back on.

"Luffy!" Zoro said in relief.

Law looked really fed up with Luffy. "Let me down now," he growled.

"Bad choice of words," Rae winced.

Law looked at her in confusion for a moment. That confusion changed to startled as Luffy's shirt pulled free from the rod. The two of them fell to the ground hard. Zoro took a step back and pulled Rae with him. Luffy landed on top of Law. "Get off of me!"

"Sorry," Luffy laughed. "Sorry!" He then sat up straight. Unfortunately it was directly on Law's stomach.

Law let out a pained groan. "What's wrong with you!? Are you trying to kill me!?"

"Huh?" Zoro watched the whole situation impassively. Reecheru just watched on as she shook her head.

"Don't 'huh' me!"

Zoro let out a sigh once Luffy finally got himself set right and off of Law. Reecheru busied herself looking the two of them over for injuries. "How are the two of you not broken and bleeding?" she asked.

Law let out a reliefed breath. "Don't ask me how we managed it. It's thanks to this one's recklessness that we were in danger to begin with." He looked over at Luffy. For his part, Luffy looked confused down at Law. "To laugh at Pica's voice means death," Law elaborated.

Luffy started laughing and looked around. "Look how far we've gotten," he said in amazement. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Zoro admitted.

"You're not even taking this seriously," Law snapped.

"I think it would be better for your mental health if you just let it go," Rae looked down at Law. "How often have you been able to negotiate with a person that doesn't have any survival instincts?" Law blinked at her in surprise. He hadn't really thought of it that way.

Law relaxed as he took Reecheru's words to heart and looked around himself. "I think that we've gotten even further away from the palace," he said.

Zoro moved to sit on a stone slab. "Damn that stone assimulation human," he said. He closed his good eye as he thought. "He ended up being even bigger then Oars." He started scratching the back of his head. "If only I knew how to beat him..." His eye snapped open and his hand went for his swords as he sensed someone coming.

"Straw Hat."

Luffy turned around at the sound of his name. A man wearing blue capris with a star on each knee and a white, lacy shirt stood behind Zoro. He wore a dark hat with gold studs and an off-white long coat. His long, blond hair was done in ringlets on either side of his face.

"Cabbage!" Luffy cried out.

The man was staring down at Zoro. "You're Pirate Hunter Zoro, aren't you?" He looked down and saw Law looking up at him. "And Trafalgar LAW!" He lifted his sword and swung down. The sound of steel crashing against steel rang through the area. Reecheru had moved quickly and blocked the attack. She was standing over Law.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"You have some nerve," Reecheru snidely said. "You show up, unannounced, and then start swinging your sword around. What do you want with Law?" She felt a presence hovering just over her shoulder. She glanced back to see Zoro there, hands at the ready over his swords. He was glaring at the newcomer.

"It's not just Law," 'Cabbage' growled. "It's all three of them." He then turned his attention to Luffy and Law. "Give me back my glory, you scoundrels of the worst generation!"

"What are you doing?" Luffy snapped. He was yelling at the newcomer. "He's now my nakama!"

"NO I'M NOT!" Law screamed at him.

"What, do you still hold a grudge against me?"

'Cabbage' sighed and eased away from Reecheru. In response, Reecheru marginally lowered her own guard. "No," 'Cabbage' was saying. "I'm not going to go after you Straw Hats anymore." Zoro and Luffy then relaxed from their fighting stances. "Because one of your crew, God Usopp, saved my life."

"Usopp did?" Zoro asked in confusion.

"Yes," 'Cabbage' looked at the sky as if in rememberance. He then turned back to face the others. "I will never forget his brave image as he saved hundreds. Sacrificing his life! Although I didn't see it."

"I'm not sure we're thinking about the same guy," Reecheru looked confused. "Really long nose and curly black hair?" 'Cabbage' just nodded his head. "Huh, must have been a fluke of some kind."

Luffy started laughing and put a hand behind his head. "Well I'm always glad when someone says nice things about my nakama," he said.

"That reminds me," 'Cabbage' dug into his coat. He pulled out the hat that Trafalgar had been wearing. "Trafalgar, this is your hat, isn't it? I found it in front of the Colosseum. Let me put it on you. Come closer now!" He had developed a sinister look on his face and his sword was behind his back.

"I don't trust you!" Law yelled at him.

'Cabbage' turned away and looked slightly put off. "Well, who cares? I'm busy now anyway." He dropped the sword on the ground by Law. He then sidled up to Luffy. "Do you want to know why I'm busy?"

"No," Luffy answered.

"Alright," 'Cabbage' spread his arms in a flourish. He completely ignored that Luffy just said he didn't care. "I'll tell you if you insist! I decided to kill Doflamingo to return the favor I owe you guys." He gave off what he thought was a charming laugh.

"WHAT!?" Luffy raised his fists, as if he was going to punch the guy. As this was going on, Law put his hat back on his head.

"Leave the rest to me," 'Cabbage' said. "You guys go and hide somewhere..."

"No thanks," Luffy interrupted him. "I'm going to do it."

Reecheru moved closer to Zoro. "Something tells me that things are not going to go over smoothly," she said.

"They never do when Luffy is involved," Zoro agreed.

"I have to return the favor to Rebecca for buying me lunch," Luffy continued.

Reecheru looked like she was about to pass out. "That's why he wants to beat Doflamingo!?"

"Sounds about right," Zoro smirked.

"Your reason to fight was food!?" Law yelled at Luffy. His teeth had turned into fangs in his anger.

'Cabbage' poked Luffy in the middle of the head. "Cut it out! I know you're trying to fool me."

"I think you're giving him too much credit," Zoro drawled. He was completely ignored by 'Cabbage', but it did get a laugh out of Reecheru.

"I know that you just want to draw more attention to yourself by killing Doflamingo, don't you?" 'Cabbage' accused.

"More attention?" Luffy snapped back. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it," 'Cabbage' growled. He then developed stars in his eyes as he became lost in a day dream. "If you take down a vicious pirate like Doflamingo, the newspapers won't leave you alone!" He then went on, sprouting nonsense of fame and glory.

While 'Cabbage' was distracted Luffy picked up Law. "Let's go," he said. He started jogging away. Zoro and Reecheru followed behind, both looking back at the crazy man they left behind.

"You know," Reecheru looked over to Zoro. "I don't think he has both oars in the water." Zoro started snickering as they left. The man too lost in his fantasy to notice they had gone.

As they got a fair distance away Zoro spoke. "Luffy, do you know that strange guy we just met?"

"You mean Cabbage?" Luffy asked.

"Are you serious?" Zoro asked.

"That can't really be his name," Reecheru spoke up. "Can it?"

"I met him in the Colosseum," Luffy ignored the name question. "Him and a whole bunch of other strange people."

"There they are!" A group rushed into the way of Luffy and the others. "Two three-stars, a two-star and that six-star woman. Don't let them get away!"

Luffy and Zoro stiffened when they realized that these were hunters. "We really should have known," Reecheru sighed. She reached into her pocket to pull out some weapons. The three of them then charged the group and went wild. Luffy using his rubber abilities and Zoro slicing them down with long range attacks. Reecheru ran through the masses, hitting pressure points as she went. Bodies fell in her wake.

"There's some people with high bounties over here!" The new voice caused the three to look into an alley.

"There's more of them," Luffy and Zoro said in unison.

"Hey Luffy," Zoro spoke up. "If we fight all of them it will take forever. Let's go!"

"Right!"

"There you are Straw Hat!" Yet another voice shouted at them from a side-street.

"Get out of my way..."

"You get out of my way..."

"You're both in my way..."

"That voice," Luffy looked like he ate something sour. Three men appeared out of the smoke in the street. Two seemed to be a little older then them, but the third looked like he should have retired ages ago. They all looked way passed pissed and wild.

"Wait, Garp's grandson!" The elderly one was the one that shouted.

"We've been looking for you, you bastard," the dark haired one with side-burns snapped.

"You can't get away from us," the last yelled.

"I thought so," Luffy gulped.

"WAIT!"

"Oh no," Luffy stepped back. "Run!" He took off down the street that didn't have anyone in it, leaving Zoro and Reecheru behind.

"What's the matter?" Zoro asked. He quickly ran after Luffy when he realized that he wasn't going to wait. He took hold of Reecheru's hand so that she wouldn't be left behind.

As they were about to disappear behind a wall, Reecheru heard the older one ask, "Why are you running?" A mass of hunters quickly chased after them.

"They are all persistent," Luffy looked behind.

"I've heard that cardio is good for you," Reecheru panted. "But this is getting a little ridiculous." Luffy looked startled as he was still looking behind. "What's that look mean?" Reecheru asked.

"WAIT!"

"They just don't give up," Luffy whined.

"Why can't you wait? Head Arms!" The attack headed straight for Luffy. He managed to dodge out of the way, but a bunch of smoke got into his eyes. "I said wait, Garp's grandson." Out of the smoke the older man rose to his feet.

The three men that had once looked feral as they chased them now had kinder dispositions about them. The older one was laughing in a friendly manner. "Don't get me wrong, Garp's grandson," he kindly said. "I don't hold a grudge against your family anymore."

"Really?" Luffy asked.

The darker haired one stepped up. "We originally came to this country to take down Doflamingo's business," he said. "We don't care about prizes. We don't work for such a small amount of money."

"That's very ninja of you," Reecheru smirked. "I've earned a small fortune today alone."

"All we've done is run," Zoro pointed out.

"Exactly," Reecheru nodded. "S-class missions aren't cheap. The Hokage is going to be paying me an arm and Merissa a leg."

The elderly man put his hands on Luffy's shoulder. "I was not just saved by you, but by one of your crew as well, God Usopp."

"Usopp did?"

"That's right," the man nodded. "That's why I've made up my mind to return you and God Usopp the favor by taking down Doflamingo." At his statement Reecheru took a step away from them.

"Don't do it," Luffy snapped. He knocked one of the man's hand off his shoulder. "I'm going to kick Doflamingo's ass."

The man started to get angry again. "What did you just say?"

"I said 'don't do it', because I'm going to do it!" Luffy yelled.

The two were now face to face, like bulls locking horns. "Are you going to disregard my kindness?" the man demanded.

The ground shook once again. Reecheru and Zoro looked around to see if Pica had found them. "There you are, Straw Hat Luffy!" They all looked up to see a giant had been the one to cause the shaking.

"It's you," Luffy stated helpfully.

"Let's just forget what happened in the match," the giant said. "For my pride as a warrior of Elbaph, I will kill Doflamingo and return you guys the favor."

"I'm sensing a trend here," Reecheru sighed. She moved next to Zoro. He raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Think about it for a moment. All of these fighters from the Colosseum, the best of the best, are all coming out of the wood works. Each one is declaring to Luffy that they'll return the favor by doing the one thing that Luffy is adament about doing himself. Things are going to start getting messy."

"I get that," Zoro said. "What I don't get is why you're moving so close to me."

"Human shield."

"Figures."

Then more and more Colosseum fighters started appearing, each declaring that they or he would be the ones to kill Doflamingo. "Where are all these idiots coming from?" Zoro asked.

"Don't forget about me!"

The group turned to see 'Cabbage' charging in on a white horse. "Here comes the annoying one," Zoro groused. He looked down in shock when Reecheru started digging through his pockets. "What are you doing woman!?"

"I'm looking for a set of earplugs," Rae answered.

"All those pockets you have and you don't have earplugs!"

"It's not standard issue."

"And an armory is?"

"Of course."

"What makes you think I have earplugs!?"

"Nami."

Zoro blinked down at Reecheru as she pulled her empty hands from his pockets. "That's not a bad idea," he said.

The group of men then crowded around Luffy and the others. "Oi," Zoro started speaking. "Do you guys really wanna..." He was interrupted by the fighters arguing once again on who was going to defeat Doflamingo.

"What the hell is going on here?" Zoro finally asked. He scratched his head in frustration. "Okay, how about this!?" His shout drew the attention of the others. "We'll go and fight Doflamingo and you guys can back us up." Like that Reecheru was gone from his side. She was now hiding behind a currently silent Luffy. Every fighter yelled at him and said they would do it. Then they started arguing again.

"It's no good," Zoro stepped back. "There are too many egos." Luffy then joined in on the argument and things started to get violent.

Luffy had to jump back as a spear appeared out of nowhere. All heads turned in the direction that it had come from. "There they are," a newcomer shouted. "Guys, why don't you let us help you? All that money can be split between us and we'd still all be really rich."

The fighters turned scowls in their direction. "They're the ex-toys that were locked up underground with us, aren't they?" the long-legged fighter asked.

"You're right," the executioner stated. "They are."

"What shameless assholes."

The newcomers charged in an effort to take Luffy, Zoro, Law and Reecheru. The fighters from the Colosseum reacted quickly and jumped to meet them head on. In the fight the giant yelled, "Go to hell, you ungrateful bastards!"

Reecheru, Zoro and Luffy stood off to the side watching for a moment. "Let's go," Zoro called to them. The others quickly agreed.

Luffy stopped for a moment when he saw a bull in the middle of the street. Luffy got a big grin on his face and called, "Moocy!" The bull looked over and seemed to smile at Luffy as well.

"It's a bull," Reecheru pointed out.

"It is," Zoro stated.

"I've got an idea," Luffy grinned.

The four of them were charging through the streets on a bull. "We're making excellent time now," Reecheru grinned. She was sitting on the back of the bull next to Zoro. Luffy was at the head, encouraging the bull to run. It didn't take them long before they were on top of the Doflamingo army.

"They've returned Pica-sama!" someone shouted. They started opening fire on the group. "It's the four from earlier, try not to kill the woman! And five, six, seven, eight!

"I said wait Straw Hat!"

"I told you to quit following me!" Luffy yelled back.

The firing stopped as the army looked shocked. "They are increasing in number!"

Luffy was trying to kick off two men that decided to climb onto the bull. Reecheru leaned away from the two intruders. It also happened to make her lean closer to Zoro. He didn't look too upset by it. Zoro moved Reecheru so that he was between her and the two climbing on the bull.

"Luffy!" he called out. "What should we do about all these fools?" Luffy basically ignored him as he started arguing with the fighters all over again.

"This is getting us nowhere," Rae sighed. "They all keep arguing in circles. It's either all or nothing." She was silenced as the ground shook, again. She looked up to see that Pica had raised another fist. The fighters then started arguing about who was going to take him down. "It just never ends," she sighed.

"You boneheads," Pica snapped. "Stop talking shit!"

Just like that all the fighters went silent. It didn't last for long though. They all busted out laughing as Luffy had done earlier. Although they all managed to keep running. "WHAT AN UNFITTING VOICE!" they all yelled. All the fighters were pointing or saying something along how Pica's voice just didn't fit and that it was hilarious.

"Four or four-hundred," Pica prepared his attack. "It doesn't matter to me!"

"Wait Pica-sama," a soldier said. "You can't kill the woman!"

"I don't care who it is," Pica lost it. "No one that laughs at me will live!" His fist started coming down as he declared that he was going to kill them all.

The two oldest fighters sprung into action first. In a surprising display of teamwork they managed to destroy the hand of Pica that was coming down on them. Pica let out a scream as the arm collapsed. Reecheru narrowed her eyes at that. "He felt that," she commented. Zoro turned to look at her and then back to Pica.

"That's the way to do it Grandpa," the dark haired man with side-burns cheered. "We're going to take down Doflamingo just like this!"

"Hey," Luffy snapped at them. "I told you to quit following us!"

"Shut up you idiotic savior!"

"What did you just say?"

"I feel like I"m watching over a daycare facility by myself," Reecheru rolled her eyes.

Large chunks of debris started falling on top of everyone. Everything from entire roofs and floors of buildings to large boulders. Moocy jumped and dodged the obstacles falling around him. One particularly large corner of a building fell right in front of them. Moocy jumped right over it. "That was close," Luffy laughed. "Go Moocy! To the palace!" The two hitch-hikers also voiced their encouragement to Moocy.

Zoro had Shusui braced and ready over one shoulder. His other arm had Reecheru tucked into his side. "You don't have to keep holding me like this," Reecheru looked at him. "I'm a fighter too. I can look after myself."

"I know you can," Zoro looked back. "What if I told you that I'm just looking for an excuse?" He had a smirk on his face now.

Reecheru blinked and then blushed. She turned and faced the direction they were running in once again. She was no longer voicing her complaints. Law rolled his eyes, which was about the only thing he could do at this point.

Luffy looked down at one of the hitch-hikers. "Hey!" he yelled at him. "I told you guys not to come with me! Get off of Moocy!" He then kicked him in the face to try and get him to let go.

"Please don't say that Straw Hat," the man begged. His words were slightly obscurd by Luffy's foot.

"Straw Hat-san," the other chimed in. "Please let us! Moocy, we're counting on you!" Zoro and Law looked at the two arguing with Luffy, unimpressed. Reecheru looked at them with pity.

"Where did Straw Hat go!?" Pica demanded.

As Moocy ran through the streets the members of Doflamingo's army that they came across tried to shoot at them. The fighters of the Colosseum stepped up and fought those that tried to block their path. "You know," Reecheru looked over Zoro's shoulder to see what was going on behind them. "For a bunch of guys that wanted to kill Doflamingo for Luffy and refusing to back down they're awfully helpful in letting Luffy get to the palace first." The fighters quickly finished with the soldiers and caught up to Moocy. "I didn't think they would be that fast."

The fighters then started arguing again on who would kill Doflamingo. "I will be the one to kill Doflamingo!"

"No, it's going to be me!"

"No, it'll be me!"

"No, me!"

"I said it's me!" Luffy yelled above them.

Rose petals started floating around them. 'Cabbage' landed on the back of Moocy. "I have realized my destiny again," he gloated. "I get a chance to take down a warlord. I can get the better of these rookies once and for all. There'll be stories of me in the newspaper everyday. I'm destined to be a top star!" He then pulled Reecheru up to stand next to him and fell into a daydream of being followed around by his adoring fans. Behind him Zoro readied a sword.

As 'Cabbage' went on he never noticed the killing intent that was filling the area on top of the bull. Luffy kicked him hard in the face as Zoro pulled Reecheru free from his grasp. Only now he had to hold her back from killing the blond pirate. "Go away!" Luffy yelled at him.

"Shut up," Zoro said as well.

"If you touch me again I'll turn you into a eunech!"

"Good-bye!" the hitch-hikers waved.

Law was staring at Reecheru in shock. He had heard her threaten people a few times, but never had it been something like that, nor had there been such a menacing aura coming from her. He had to wonder, she let Zoro hold her as 'Cabbage' had done but had never been so vicious.

Reecheru blinked as she calmed down and looked to Zoro. "Now that I think about it," she said. "With the way that he acts, I'm not sure he isn't already a eunech." Zoro smirked at her and the hitch-hikers started laughing.

Luffy looked back at her in confusion. "What's a eunech?"

"Ask Nami," Reecheru dismissed.

"Okay," Luffy agreed.

"You know what Nami will do to him when he asks, right?" Zoro asked.

"And I'll have my camera ready."

The group continued to run through the streets, arguing the entire way. It had progressed to also kicking and attacking each other. "This is starting to get old," Zoro groused. He and Reecheru ducked to avoid a particularly rambunctious duo. They came back up to see Luffy once again kicking 'Cabbage'.

Pica raised his arm again to attack. One of the fighters pointed that out to everyone. "Straw Hat!" Pica yelled.

The two older fighters braced themselves. "How annoying," one said.

"I'll take him down again and again," the other added.

"Don't do it you guys," Reecheru yelled. The two looked at her in confusion as the bull past them.

"Even if you break his arm he can restore it," Zoro explained. "If you can't figure out how his power works then it's just a waste of energy."

Pica punched the ground, sending a gust of wind through the area. "Be prepared to be crushed to death, Straw Hat!" Pica brought up his hand and punched the ground a second time. Pica was relentless as he punched a third time.

Reecheru could only blink in surprise. Somehow Moocy was agile and fast enough that when Pica's arm came down the last time he managed to jump up and run along Pica's arm. "Yeehaw!" Luffy cheered. "We're on the fast track now!"

"This is either sheer brilliance or madness," Reecheru screamed.

"You'll get used to it," Zoro smirked.

Luffy was laughing and enjoying the ride on the bull. "Let's go all the way to the palace like this!"

"That's right," the hitch-hikers cheered. "Run, bull, run!"

Luffy stopped his laughter and looked behind him to where the two had moved. They were now blocking his view of his nakama. Zoro sat with his back to the larger guy, having made Reecheru sit in his lap. Reecheru sat stock still, her face the color of a tomato. Sure, there was no where else to sit, but couldn't there have been a better way?

"Oi," Luffy said to the hitch-hikers.

"Yes?" the smaller one asked.

Luffy's teeth grew sharp as he yelled at them. "Cut the 'run, bull, run' crap!"

"Yes?" the smaller one said again.

"Get off, you're making it harder for Moocy to run!"

"Oh yes."

Zoro leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It looked like he was about to take a nap. "You can't be serious," Reecheru looked at him. "I think this is hardly the place for a nap."

"I'm saving up my energy," Zoro explained. "When the fighting starts there will hardly be a time to rest like this." He then pulled Reecheru's head to lean against his chest. "You should think about doing the same."

"Excuse us for not introducing ourselves earlier," the smaller one said. "I'm Jeet and the bigger one behind me is..."

"I'm Abdullah," the bigger one smiled.

"Did I ask for your names?" Luffy bit out. The two men started freaking out as they looked over Luffy's head. "I said to get off!" Jeet then tapped Luffy's shoulder and pointed. Luffy looked to see that Pica had focused on them running up his arm.

"Straw Hat!" Pica yelled.

"He's pissed," Jeet cried.

"I won't let you get to Doffy!" Pica then started to grow back his arm.

"This is bad," Abdullah pointed out.

Luffy then jumped off of Moocy and into the air. He brought a thumb up to his mouth. "Third Gear," he announced as he blew into his thumb. His arm expanded and then his second arm expanded to look like he had really over-sized muscles in his arms. When Luffy landed on the arm again he started running for Pica's face. Both of his arms turned black as he used haki. The reconstructed arm started heading directly for Luffy. When he reached the edge of the arm, Luffy jumped into the air again.

When the punch was about to hit him, Luffy used that as a step and jumped over. He now had a clear shot of Pica's stone face. "Gum-Gum..." he started his attack. "Grizzly Magnum!" He used both hands and punched Pica in the face. The stone structure crumbled on impact. The mountain man was now missing his face from the collar-bone up. Luffy laughed as he fell back towards the others.

Merissa and the others were more than halfway up the net Robin had created using her grown limbs. The Tontattas were still carrying Usopp up. The going was a little slow, people were tired from running away from hunters. That or they were physically weak to begin with.

"Are you alright Rebecca?" Robin asked.

"I'm fine."

Hack looked over to Merissa. "What do you suppose is wrong with him?" He directed Merissa to look over at Bortolomeo.

"He's fangirling," she rolled her eyes. Every arm Bortolomeo climbed up he seemed to need to hug. He had stars in his eyes and was chanting on how wonderful it was to be getting help from 'Robin-senpai's' own hands. He had so many tears streaming out from joy that he was creating his own rainbow. He got so grateful that he started rushing up to the top.

"I'll ask again," Hack growled. "What's wrong with him?"

"Don't worry Hack," Merissa grinned at him. "I don't think it's contagious."

A knife came flying at them from below. It nearly hit Rebecca in the shoulder. They all looked down to see pirates turned bounty hunters climbing up after them. "We're going to kill all the criminals!" one cheered.

"Everyone," Rebecca called out. "Hurry up! They're coming!" Everyone started climbing with renewed vigor.

Rebecca tried to go faster, but one of the hunters grabbed a hold of her ankle. "I got one hundred million berries!"

Merissa let go of her hold on the net. As she fell she kicked off a few of the arms to gain some speed. Her knee landed right in the middle of the face of the guy that had a hold of Rebecca. "I knew she was mean in a fight," Hack watched. "But that just hurts looking at it, no matter who you are."

Merissa caught a hold of the net just in front of the other hunters. She started to fend them off and keep a majority of them from climbing. Tank, a former Riku Army soldier that had joined them before they started climbing, was busy fighting a hunter who had gotten higher than the rest. Arms grew out from different parts of his body. "What the hell is this!?"

"I'm not going to let you hurt anyone," Robin smiled at him. "Slap!" The new arms that had grown on him started hitting him everywhere they could reach. This caused the man to loose his grip and fall.

"Strong and beautiful," Bortolomeo praised.

"Hey," Usopp called out to him. "Put up a barrier!" Bortolomeo kept on praising Robin's skill. "You're not even listening!"

The group all made it to the top, except for Merissa. She was still fending off the hunters from climbing. "Hurry up Merissa-san," Rebecca called.

"Don't worry about me," Merissa said instead. She looked up and straight into Robin's eyes. "I'll be fine."

"Get out of our way tramp," a hunter yelled. "Once we reach the top they'll be all ours anyway."

"That was uncalled for," Robin smiled down. "I suppose we don't need the net anymore though. We'd better put it away." The net made of arms disappeared in a flurry of sakura petals. The hunters all lost their grip and started falling.

"Robin-san!" Rebecca yelled. "How could you!? I thought that Merissa was your nakama!"

"Calm yourself," Hack spoke up. "Look down and you'll see that no harm has come to her." Rebecca did just that. Merissa was clinging to the wall, despite the fact that there were no apparent grips.

"How is she doing that?" Tank asked. Bortolomeo was also watching in fascination.

"So that's what a ninja is capable of," Robin mused.

Merissa stood onto her feet as she was still on the side of the plateau. "WHAAAAAT!?" The Tontattas that were looking, Tank, Rebecca and Bortolomeo's eyes were all bulging at the image of Merissa calmly walking up the side of the plateau.

"Show off," Hack muttered. Merissa smiled innocently at them when she reached the top.

"Yes!" Rebecca cheered.

Robin then looked down to where the hunters had fallen. "Sorry," she said unapologetically.

"That's my Big Sis-sama," Bortolomeo gushed.

When the dust settled from Luffy's attack Reecheru and Zoro were left with an uneasy feeling. Zoro made the two hitch-hickers move forward to give the two of them more room. Zoro turned so he was facing forward, he had one knee on Moocy's back and the foot of his other leg braced under him. Reecheru was in a similar position, only she was pulled in closer to herself, appearing more ready to spring into action then Zoro did.

Luffy started running along the stone arm behind Moocy. "Let's go straight to the palace," Luffy ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"No! I didn't say that to you guys! I said that to Moocy!"

"This is far from over," Reecheru whispered. Zoro grunted in agreement. He was glancing around the area.

"Luffy," Zoro called out. "That head you just took out was only stone!"

"What are you talking about?" the hitch-hikers asked.

"The real body is hidden somewhere in this stone," Reecheru explained. "We can attack the stone for eternity and still get nowhere. Unless we attack the real body, we won't win this fight."

"It's like a form of armor," Zoro continued. "Finding the vital spot and weak points is the key."

"We've lost him again?" Luffy asked.

Reecheru started to take off her sunglasses. She was stopped by Zoro putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll take care of this," he said. He closed his eye and focused his haki on finding what he was looking for. After a moment he slowly opened his eye again. "He looks pretty pissed," he smirked.

"Where is he?" Abdullah and Jeet started looking around. Reecheru looked at Zoro and then back in the direction of where they were heading. Someone was starting to come out of the stone.

"His real body is over there," Zoro announced. A man wearing ridiculously skimpy armor appeared out of the stone.

"That's the stone man?" Luffy asked.

"This is the first time we've seen him with a human-like figure," Zoro grinned. Pica appeared to reach into the stone and pull something out of it.

Jeet let out a scream. "He has a massive sword," he yelled. He and Abdullah started freaking out along with Moocy.

"You guys need to calm down," Reecheru soothed. "Size means nothing if he doesn't have the skill to go along with it." The two ignored her and tried to get Moocy to turn. He was going to fast to make it, so they ordered him to stop instead. Moocy tried with all his might to stop, but they were still skidding towards the real Pica.

Pica rose his large sword above his head and released a battle cry. The cry caused Luffy to bust out laughing again. Abdullah and Jeet closed their eyes for the impending pain they were sure would come. Zoro looked at them like they were crazy and Reecheru braced herself to jump if necessary. She was surprised when the bull was lifted and carried away from the attack. Pica ended up hitting nothing except air. She looked at the front of the bull and noticed that Luffy had picked up his front legs and was carrying them away from the danger. He had jumped right over Pica's head.

Luffy was laughing uncontrollably. "His voice is such a riot," he boomed. When he landed he took off running, still carrying Moocy and his passengers.

"Straw Hat!" Pica yelled after him. He turned around and started to attack again. Reecheru was the only one besides Zoro himself that heard the sound of a sword being released from it's sheath.

"Here he comes!" the two in front warned.

Luffy stretched his arm and landed on the back of Moocy again. "I'll see you later," he yelled. Abdullah and Jeet looked on in confusion.

"What!?" the asked, thinking he was talking to them.

Zoro grinned and jumped off of the bull. He blocked the attack of Pica with Shusui and Kitetsu. "Yeah," Zoro called back. "Leave it to me!" Reecheru could hear the happiness in his voice. He was obviously excited to finally be able to face Pica face-to-face.

"Get out of my way," Pica yelled. With the sound of steel running along steel, Zoro broke Pica's attack and jumped back.

"Only the friends of god could do something like this," Abdullah and Jeet said with tears.

"You two are taking that too seriously," Reecheru chastised.

"Zoro!" Luffy called out. "I'm counting on you. I'm going to go and kick Doflamingo's ass!"

"Got it," Zoro agreed. "Captain."

"You should stay too Rae-ya," Law spoke up. Everyone on Moocy's back looked down at him. "For whatever reason Doflamingo wants you alive. You've said it's to learn your techniques and make you part of the family. Bringing you along will be like handing you over to him as a present. We don't want to make things easy for him by bringing you into such a close proximity to him."

Luffy stared down at Law for a moment. He then turned and looked Reecheru in the eye. He gave one nod, showing that he agreed with Law. Reecheru looked into his eyes and nodded back. Without a word she jumped of a Moocy and went to join Zoro.

As she was getting closer she could hear the two fighters have a sort of discussion. "I have business with Straw Hat," a squeaky voice said. "Go away!"

"Our captain has no business with a worthless rock like you," Zoro goaded. He then looked over to Reecheru joining him on one side. "What are you doing here?"

"Luffy decided that it would be best if I didn't go near Doflamingo," she answered. "Don't worry, I won't get involved in your fight unless you ask." She pulled off her sunglasses and looked at Pica. "I'll also make sure you don't have to worry about me. This one isn't so skilled that he can hide from my sight."

Zoro smirked at the insult she brazenly gave to Pica. His smirk twisted into a sinister smile as he turned back to Pica. "It looks like we're all you've got," he teased. "You had better get used to it. You soprano-voiced dumb ass!" Pica's voice started to tremble in his rage. This only caused Zoro to let out a little laugh. The prospect of a good fight was really pumping his blood.

Pica charged at Zoro, angered by his brazen attitude. However, no matter how many times that Pica swung his sword, Zoro blocked every single one with ease. Reecheru watched all of this while making sure that Pica wasn't trying to use some dirty trick with the stone he could control. "I'm gonna kill you," Pica yelled at Zoro. "You bastard!"

"Huh," Zoro looked fairly annoyed. He put a pinky into his ear and started to twist it around. "Boy your voice is so squeaky and annoying. It makes my ears tickle." Zoro brought the pinky to his face and blew on it, as if he was getting rid of something that was disgusting. He then looked off to the side, like Pica was of no importance to him.

Pica's anger spiked even further, if that was possible. "Damn you," he cursed. "DIE!" He jumped up and brought his sword down on Zoro's position. Zoro's eye shifted only slightly to look at him. Pica's sword then hit the stone. He had a smirk on his face as a pleased sound came from him. He stopped and looked at Reecheru. She was giggling a little and looking to a spot behind Pica. Pica whipped around in shock.

Zoro stood there, staring at Pica as if he was bored. He tapped Shusui on his shoulder. He then smirked over at him. "What are you doing?" he asked. "You soprano-voiced old man!" Pica let out a scream as he attacked at Zoro again. Once again, Zoro was blocking every strike with ease.

Bortolomeo started going around the plateau. He was looking and calling for Luffy. He stopped and got a good look at all the people that were gathered around. "Huh? AH! LUFFY-SENPAI IS NOT HERE!"

"Of course he's not," Robin said cheerfully.

"What do you mean 'of course'?" Bortolomeo yelled.

Usopp looked at him with a disapproving stare. "Luffy wouldn't stay in one place for five minutes," he said.

Bortolomeo then cheered and got starry eyed. "Freedom!" he yelled. "That's how the king of pirates should be!"

Merissa went up to him and hit him on the back of the head. "Would you just shut up already!?" she snapped. "All of your fangirling is really starting to get on my last nerve you rooster!"

"Who are you calling a rooster!?"

"The only idiot here that looks like one!"

Hack watched all of this take place. "Aren't you going to stop her?" Rebecca asked.

"No I'm not," Hack answered.

"Why?"

"There's a few reasons," Hack started. "First, I happen to agree with her. He's become very annoying. Second, I don't have a death wish."

"What do you mean a death wish?" Tank asked.

"I mean that she'll kill me if I get involved in her business."

"What's that big statue?" Leo asked. His question drew the attention of everyone. Including Merissa who was now standing over a knocked out Bortolomeo. The group gathered to look. "Why is the palace way up there?" The crowd had all fell silent as they took in the destruction that had occured to the town below.

"I found the key." Viola walked up to them, holding the key she had been looking for. Rebecca and the Tontattas ran up to her. Rebecca hugged Viola around the shoulders and the Tontattas hugged Viola's ankles, hands and shoulders. They were all cheering for joy that their friend was there.

"Viola," Riku called out.

"Father," Viola held up the key. "I found the key to Trafalgar Law's handcuffs. I have to deliver it to them somehow."

"Wait Viola," Riku said. "Why are they so important to you? They're pirates!"

"I see how it is," Merissa broke in. "You have no problem letting us help you so long as you get what you want, but when the shoe is on the other foot you snub us!" Riku looked at her in shock.

"Yes," Viola stepped in and added. "They're all unlawful people...WHO WILL BREAK THE FALSE PEACE OF THIS COUNTRY!" Riku blinked over at Viola, not expecting his daughter to yell at him. "I've decided to trust them, the Straw Hat pirates." Even Rebecca was looking at Riku with a disapproving frown.

"The World Government gave him the title of warlord and that pirate, Doflamingo, reigned over this country with terror. He has caused all of us so much pain." Viola grit her teeth and her frown turned into a glare. "I don't want to help the Navy! They were supposed to be supporting justice or the government all these years! They can't hear them, the voices of the people who fell because of them! The angry voices of this country! The people in authority often only hear what they want to. At least the words and actions of the Straw Hats are humane, doing this out of the goodness of their hearts!" Riku looked down as he thought on his daughter's words.

Leo and the other Tontattas then brought Usopp over to where Riku sat. "King Riku!" Leo called out. "Please take a look at him."

"You're the five star man from the game," Riku noted.

"That's right," Leo agreed. Usopp weakly lifted a hand up to give a victory sign. "This man risked his life and broke the spell of toys that had been overshadowing this country for years." The Tontattas continued to give Usopp high praise in front of Riku. Robin watched it all with a smile and Merissa glared at the king. Leo walked up closer to Riku. "Luffyland is this superhero's captain," he explained. "King Riku, they're Dressrosa's only hope! Even if they are pirates, we're gonna trust them until the end!"

Rebecca then started an argument with Viola about going and getting the key to Luffy and Law. Bortolomeo stood up from his place on the ground and declared that they would go and see Luffy-senpai together. Leo jumped away from Riku, calling Cub to come along with him. "If you're going then you should use the rooftops," Leo said. "Cub-san and I will go along with you so don't worry." The Tontattas then all gathered around and started to prepare for war.


	23. Crossing Dressrosa

**Guest (juti):** You're right, this is MY STORY! The characters Reecheru and Merissa are based off of real people. Hence why this story is considered a self-insert. To tell me that you don't like Merissa or how she acts is to tell me you don't like my best friend. So I'll thank you for that insult. As to Merissa acting more like an Uchiha, you must not be paying attention to the ending or ova of the Naruto manga. Sasuke never met his daughter until well after her personality had been established. A person's personality is learned, NOT GENETIC! With Sakura being the one to raise their daughter the Uchiha persona has pretty much died out. So no matter how much you wish it, Merissa will never behave like an Uchiha. Now as to how Reecheru fights. It's been stated in earlier chapters that she has a brother that will become leader of the Hyuuga clan as well as stating that she has a knack for the skills from Naruto's side of the family. Her brother is the one that favors the Hyuuga fighting jutsus while she favors the Uzumaki. While she does know a few of the Hyuuga techniques she tends to favor the others. Every fighter has certain techniques they favor over others, if someone says otherwise then they're lying. So guess which ones she's going to use the most. There's another reason why I've been restricting what both girls do and know. No one likes to read about a character that is super powerful and can't be brought down. While those types of stories are entertaining for a short while, they'll never last. The next time you think about posting a review and telling someone how they should write their story, just don't. If you don't like how a story is progressing then stop reading it. No one is forcing you to read my story. If you read this, get mad and stop reading my story I'm not going to loose any sleep at night. Also, I've deleted your review from my review board on this story. I didn't want my friend to see that insult. Especially since that's the exact chapter she had told me she absolutely loved.

To the other readers and followers of Ninja Pirates. I'm sorry that I had to put this rant in a chapter. I had no other choice considering the review had been posted by GUEST JUTI and there was no way for me to message them privately. I apologize for taking time from your reading and thank you for your continued loyalty to the story. Now, on with the chapter. ENJOY!

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-two: Crossing Dressrosa

After a while of debate, it was finally settled on who would be going to deliver the key to Luffy and Law. Robin, Rebecca and Bortolomeo were getting ready to leave. Merissa stared down the side of the plateau while Robin pulled out her baby snail. She first tried to contact Zoro. The snail was never answered.

"Maybe they've already split up," Usopp suggested. "It's too bad that Luffy doesn't carry a baby snail."

Robin nodded her head in agreement. She then tried a different number. It rang a few times before being answered. "Hello? This is Luffy, the man who'll become king of the pirates!" Several people let out sighs of relief as Robin got through.

"Luffy," Robin said once it was quiet again. "It's me."

"Robin," Luffy cheered.

"We're still at the plateau that you were at earlier," she explained. "Where are you?"

"We're on the first level of the other plateau," Luffy explained. "We're heading to a place called the Sunflower Field."

"The Sunflower Field is on the fourth level," Viola informed.

"Viola found the key to Tra-guy-kun's cuffs," Robin continued.

"Oh yeah?" Luffy asked cheerfully.

"Nico-ya!" Law's voice came across the line. "Get it to me as soon as possible! What do you want me to do?"

"Hello," Leo said from Robin's shoulder. "This is Leo from the Tontatta Tribe. We're going to escort Rebecca-sama, Rooster Big Human..." Merissa started laughing at the description of Bortolomeo. "And Robiland there at a super high speed."

"Let's meet up at the Sunflower Field on the fourth level," Robin suggested.

"What?" Luffy sounded confused. "How will you guys catch up?"

"I'll explain later," Leo said. "We'll see you at the Sunflower Field." He then hung up the snail.

Usopp turned his head enough to look at the group that had gathered around the now silent baby snail. "You said at super high speed," he reminded. "But, what exactly is your plan?"

"Cub-san," Leo jumped off of Robin's shoulder. "Please show them."

Cub cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted. The shout echoed across the island, almost hanging in the air. Everyone turned and started looking around in the direction that Cub had shouted. At first it seemed like there was nothing there. After a few moments it was Usopp that first spotted them. "Hey," he shouted. "There's something coming!" Several black spots appeared in the sky and got closer. As they got closer a buzzing sound started to reach everyones ears.

"Is that..." Robin couldn't finish her thoughts. The very idea of what seemed to be approaching was too odd.

"Don't tell me..." Rebecca came up to her side.

"Beetles?" Viola bliknked up at the sky.

Cub started directing the beetles to a landing once they were close enough. A group of about six dozen beetles landed in front of him. "Thank you for your service," he greeted.

Leo and Cub then turned to the group that had volunteered to go with smirks on their faces. "All right," Leo said. He was looking at Robin, Rebecca and Bortolomeo. "We'd like the three of you to board these Yellow Cubs." To ephasize his statement, the beetles all beat their wings. Merissa was staring at all of them from her place at the edge of the plateau. She was hoping they weren't being serious. It wasn't just her though, everyone was staring in stunned silence. Once he realized how awkward it had become Leo asked what was wrong.

Rebecca, Robin and Bortolomeo all had sick looks on their faces as they took a step back. "You can't be serious," Rebecca argued.

"No," Bortolomeo refused to follow Leo's directions.

"I am serious," Leo yelled at them.

Cub ignored the situation and walked up to the three. "All right," he cut the tension. "All of you need to hold on to these tight, one for each of your hands." He was carrying a handful of strings in each hand. He handed the strings out one by one. The three were looking down at the strings, perplexed. The others were still in stunned silence.

"You can't fly people with beetles," Rebecca pointed out.

"Let's run through the town," Robin suggested instead. Bortolomeo was quick to agree with her. Leo ignored them and told them to listen to instructions. He was yelled at by Bortolomeo, who he continued to ignore.

Leo explained what the Yellow Cubs were and what they were for. Everyone started whispering about how strange it was. "We don't have that much time anyway," Leo yelled. He started running towards the three with the strings in their hands. "Just take off!" He then ran into them, pushing them off of the cliff.

Merissa stared after them with her mouth open. "I told you we couldn't fly like this!" Bortolomeo's shout reached her.

Merissa turned back to the others. "Leo seemed sure his plan would work," she pointed out. She was looking at everyones scared faces. "I'm sure that he wouldn't let them fall like that without knowing if they would survive or not." She then turned and looked at Hack. "In that case, they'll still be sitting ducks of anyone looking up. I'll go and give them cover from below."

"How do you plan to do that?" Usopp asked. "Cub and Leo were sure that they would be going way faster than normal."

"Faster than normal," Merissa pointed out. "A ninja is naturally faster than normal, no matter the terrain. I'll be able to keep up with them, no problem. It will help them get to where they're going faster, too. They won't have to worry about avoiding certain areas in case they're spotted." She then ran down the side of the plateau, not willing to listen or debate with anyone else. She didn't have the time now that the others were already on their way to the palace plateaus.

Merissa caught sight of the three falling. Their fall was slow and controlled. When she was close enough to a roof she kicked off the side of the plateau and landed on the roof. "Meriland?" Leo's voice called from above. "How did you get down so fast?"

"The same way I climbed up," Merissa answered. "I'm going to cover you from any attacks as you move." She then looked up to the three that were looking down at her. "With your hands full like that you won't be able to fend off any attacks on your own. I'm here to make sure you get there safe."

"She's fast for a big person," Cub commented.

Reecheru kept her distance as the fight between Zoro and Pica intensified. Zoro was rushing around the stone arm as he charged at Pica. Their swords clashed and separated quickly. Pica, however, wasn't as quick in pulling his sword back as Zoro was. Zoro jumped onto the oversized sword and ran it's length to get closer to Pica. He jumped and aimed a strike at Pica's face. Fortunately for Pica, he was fast enough to block the double strike aimed at him. "You asshole," he squeaked. "You just stepped on my sword!"

Zoro had a feral grin on his face as he stared Pica down. The wind whiplash from the attack was making his hair and three earrings wave around. "So what?" he asked. It sounded to Reecheru that he was making his voice sound deeper than normal. It was a good tactic in her opinion. Pica had already revealed that he was sensitive about how high his voice was. By making his voice sound deeper, Zoro was rubbing in the fact that he actually sounded like a real man. Mind games were common place on the battlefield, so it didn't seem strange to Reecheru he would do something like that. Whether he knew he was doing it was another question.

"I'm gonna kill you," Pica counterattacked. He was in a bad postition for it though. His sword had the advantage of distance. With Zoro already so close, he was more than ready to block and dodge the clumsy attack.

Zoro leapt over Pica's head and landed behind him, swords out on either side. He stood up calmly with a pleased smile. "Even when you're mad your voice is soprano," he teased. His smile turned to a smirk as he glanced back. "That's just a big ass dull-sword. No matter how many times you try it's no use."

Pica swung his sword down in his anger. The size of himself and his sword made him too slow to fight Zoro. Zoro was already on the move before the sword was even halfway through it's motion. He jumped back and was immediately charging in on Pica. His own attack building up. Pica shifted back in fear and his body turned to stone. "I see," Zoro said in satisfaction. "So that's how it works."

Zoro stopped to look around, but the instant he did the ground started shaking. The ground beneath him sunk and stone walls started building up around him. He swung his sword a few times and he was free.

Reecheru watched carefully when Pica turned to stone. She wasn't surprised when he tried to attack Zoro. She wasn't even surprised when the stone near her moved. Some hands had come up to try and capture her ankles. She was on the move and dodging their attempts at capturing her. "Your plan worked once," she said. "Now that I know how you plan to attack it won't work again."

"Enough playing around," Zoro's voice cut through. It caused Pica to stop in his attack and pursuit of Reecheru. "I'm your opponent, you should be more worried about me. Get ready!" Pica's real body had once again appeared from the stone.

A snail ringing cut through the tension. Reecheru smirked as she took in the passive face of Zoro. "I think your pocket is ringing," she teased.

"I'm not answering it in the middle of a fight," he growled.

"Do you want me to dig through your pocket again?"

"Woman, now is not the time for that!"

"I didn't hear you say 'no'."

Merissa moved from running across the rooftops with the others to running through the streets. It didn't take long for people to notice the group of three people 'flying' over the rooftops. Civilians started shooting at them only because Doflamingo had a bounty on Robin and Rebecca. She was getting closer to them when the shooting stopped. The closer she got she realized that the people were staring up in horror.

Merissa looked up to see that Bortolomeo was moving his hips back and forth. It was causing his pants to start riding down. Swiftly, Merissa moved her attention back to the civilians and removed the guns from their possession. They stared at her in shock and wonder and the sudden appearance. "Have a little patience," she lectured them. "We're trying to stop Doflamingo from hurting anyone else. Just give us a little more time." The men nodded dumbly at her.

Merissa tossed the guns aside and looked up again. "Don't you dare," she yelled. She was pointing a finger up at Bortolomeo, who had stopped mid-way in removing his pants. "No one wants to see that side of you! If you so much as threaten to take off your pants again I'll sheer off your reason for wearing them in the first place!"

Leo looked over to Bortolomeo. "I don't think Meriland likes you very much."

Zoro and Pica stood facing off against each other. Reecheru stood a ways off, not wanting to get in Zoro's way. With Pica having the ability with stone and the fact that they were standing on a literal mountain she was on high alert. Her eyes were constantly shifting as she looked for any signs of movement or traps. She jumped to the side in time to avoid the spot she was in suddenly becoming encased.

"You should just give up," Pica said. "Doffy will kill everyone on this island except those of the family." He then looked over to Reecheru. "If you want to live you should turn yourself in and give Doffy what he wants."

"Seeing as I'm not sure what he wants I'm still going to say 'Drop Dead'," Reecheru snapped.

"Willingly or forced," Pica responded. "You will do what Doffy wants." He barely had time to block the attack from Shusui and Kitetsu. His eyes widened, Zoro had given no warning or sign he was on the offensive.

"If you think I'm letting you go after that threat..." Zoro growled. A dark look crossed his features as he stared down the larger man. "You should start praying to whatever it is you believe in." His face became impassive and his attacks became harder for Pica to block. When it became obvious he was pushing Pica back, one corner of his mouth lifted in sadistic satisfaction.

Pica lashed out without truly aiming. It caused Zoro to jump out of range, but it didn't do any harm. When the dust settled it was more than obvious Pica was out of breath. With every inhale and exhale he made gasping noises. It sounded strange to Reecheru, someone with that high of a voice was not something you came across often if at all.

Zoro's shoulders straightened at Pica's signs of exhaustion. His smirk grew wider and he started taunting Pica once again. "You're not fast enough to catch Rae," he said. "Even _**if**_ you got past me you couldn't defeat her. How could you even think you were good enough to kill Straw Hat?"

Pica became over angry again. Reecheru was keeping track on how many times the man lost his temper and attacked wildly. So far it was at three and in less then half an hour. The mind games Zoro was playing really had an effect on him. Pica turned his arm with the sword to stone. "You bastard," Pica yelled. Using the stone, he extended his arm in an attempt to stab Zoro from a distance. With no effort on his part, Zoro shifted to the side and dodged as he focused on the fight again.

Without missing a beat, as soon as his foot touched down from the dodge Zoro was running towards Pica again. He started cutting into the stone arm as he approached the main body. His whole body started to turn into stone after he let out a curse. After a few more steps, Zoro noticed something about when Pica turned to stone. His eyes had become lifeless as he abandoned the body for the stone. Zoro stopped rushing, his swords slicing the extended arm into pieces. "I guess he got away," Zoro commented.

Zoro started looking around for where Pica would next appear. "Behind you!" Reecheru's shout had Zoro turning around. The image of Pica's head came out from the ground. It extended in a manner similar to a serpent. Several stone tentacles shot up from the ground as well. These ones had sharpened points and completely surrounded Zoro. They went high over his head before arching down, aiming for Zoro.

"Pulpostone!" Pica shouted.

In the middle of the attack a buzzing noise drew both Zoro and Reecheru's attention. Zoro dodged the attack and Rae just looked up. "Why are you guys flying!?" Zoro demanded.

In the air above them was Robin, Rebecca and Bortolomeo. "Zoro?" Robin looked down at them. "Rae is here too?" If she was going to say anything else, it was cut off by Bortolomeo gushing about Zoro being there and that he still wanted an autograph. The two women in the air ignored him.

"Quit your fangirling!" Zoro and Reecheru looked in the direction of the new voice. Merissa was running up the length of Pica's mountain arm. "You're grating on my last nerve you geek!"

"Didn't take you long to abandon the other outfit," Reecheru smirked.

Merissa pointed her finger at Reecheru as she approached. "What the hell is going on here!?" she demanded. "Who gave you permission to have a bounty? On top of that, why the hell does that freak want you alive!?" She stopped when she was right in front of Reecheru.

"It's kind of a long story," Rae laughed nervously. "Suffice it to say, it's kind of important we win this battle."

"Understatement of the year," Merissa snapped.

"Now's not the time to fight with each other." The two looked up to see Rebecca looking at them. "We're in big trouble here. That's Pica!" The stone man's eyes shifted to glare at her as he stated her name.

"Who?" Robin asked.

"He's one of the top Executives of the Don Quixote Family," Rebecca explained. "The same as Trebol and Diamante."

Leo looked around Rebecca from her shoulder to Robin. "This isn't good," he said. "If he attacks us now we can't avoid it."

Robin looked panicked for a moment. She then looked back down at the ground. "Zoro! Merissa! Rae! You need to keep the enemy there for us! We have to move beyond this stone figure."

"You don't ask for much," Merissa looked up. "Do ya?"

"It's not that hard," Reecheru looked to her friend. "His energy levels are easy to track with the Byakugan. I'm sure that if you were to activate the Sharingan then you would see something similar. His energy is massive, especially merged with something the size of a mountain."

"It's the mountain that worries me," Merissa closed her eyes. She opened them again to reveal the active Sharingan. She started looking around the area. "Now that's just really creepy." Everyone looked at her in confusion. She ignored them as she looked over to Reecheru. "You can see his energy and where it's most active?" She got a nod and then continued. "The energy you see is doing some strange things to the stone." She looked down and tapped a foot on the ground. "It's minute, not easy to see to the normal eye or to feel. The stone, every inch of it, is moving. It's almost like a mountain of snakes in a constant state of motion. They move faster in the spot where the stone is visibly moving to everyone else."

Though Zoro still wanted to know exactly how the others were flying, this new information was crucial in how Pica's power worked. He wouldn't miss hearing this new bit of news. "How can you tell?" Robin asked. When Merissa looked up at her, Robin got her first view of the Sharingan. They all did, in fact. Everyone stared at the red eyes in wonder, except Rae.

"What the hell is that?" Bortolomeo asked.

"We'll have to explain later," Reecheru stated. "Right now Pica is the more immediate concern. Zoro, can you keep Pica from attacking them?"

"I can do that," Zoro told her calmly. "But..." he then looked up at the three in the sky. "Why the hell are you guys flying!?" Pica's head suddenly shrunk back into the stone. Zoro looked back at the spot in frustration. He turned and looked at Reecheru. Both she and Merissa's eyes were moving. They traveled up the structure of the figure and stopped where the head used to be. All the while they were ignoring Bortolomeo praising how strong Zoro was.

Zoro also ignored Bortolomeo and followed after the line of sight of the two women that had strange sight powers. A split second later, Pica's head appeared in the center of the crater where his stone head used to be. "I won't let you get to the palace," he yelled. The stone arm started to move again. It was aiming a punch at the flying trio.

Zoro moved forward as he pulled Wado from it's sheath. He stood next to Reecheru as he calculated his next move. "He got in there," he stated. He then looked over at Merissa. "You both will explain more about your eyes later."

"You're not getting anything out of me," Merissa said. "Especially if you don't ask us nicely."

"It's only fair," Rae nodded to him. "If you're going to fight next to us then you should know what we can and can't do." She then looked over at Merissa. "You know you were going to tell him."

"So I enjoy giving the man a hard time," Merissa shrugged. "I wouldn't be me if I didn't make people work for information."

Zoro looked Reecheru in the eye, nodded and then took off running. He then leapt off of the ground. He placed himself in the direct path of the punch. As he was in the air, he gently placed Wado into his mouth. He then raised his other two swords as he prepared his attack. "Three-sword style," he muttered. "THOUSAND-AND-EIGHTY POUND PHEONIX!"

Zoro's attack cleaved through the stone mountain, removing nearly half of it's torso and it's entire right arm. Rebecca, Leo, Cub and Bortolomeo looked shocked at the massive destruction from the attack. Robin had a slight smile with her mouth open and a sweat drop on her temple. She clearly thought he went a little overboard.

Merissa and Reecheru had to move to a different location once it was clear that Zoro's attack caused the area they were on to crumble. When they landed on the still standing part of the figure's shoulder it was still shaking from the attack. Both lost balance for a second before standing straight.

From his spot at the 'head' of the figure, Pica's mouth opened and blood was spat out as he let out a high-pitched, pained yell. Merissa started blinking at the sound. "I wasn't paying much attention to his voice before," she admitted. She then looked to Reecheru and pointed at Pica. "Is his..."

"It's as you assume," Reecheru smirked. "Even when he's talking his voice is that high."

Their conversation was ignored as Zoro landed with a slight chuckle. He removed Wado from his mouth as carefully as he put it there. "I'm starting to see how your power works," he grinned. He then started walking closer to Pica's head. He came to a stop next to Rae and Merissa. "Hey, you soprano-voiced fool!" Pica lifted his head with a sound of acknowledgement of sorts. Merissa and Reecheru started snickering over the fact that he was now responding to Zoro's insult.

"I forgot to tell you one thing," Zoro said. "The Straw Hats are not just Straw Hat Luffy and God Usopp." Zoro was now staring down at him with that evil smile he got when he was in an exhilarating fight. "Don't forget, I'm the man who's destined to become the greatest swordsman in the world one day." Zoro's grin changed to a one sided smirk as he stared down at Pica. Pica's eyes trembled in fear for an instant before they hardened and glared at him.

Merissa turned to tell Reecheru she was moving on with Robin and the others. She stopped when she noticed that Rae was staring hard at Zoro's severe expression. "Oh for the love of..." Merissa threw her hands into the air. She then moved past her friend and started for the palace plateau again. Over her shoulder she yelled, "Wait to kiss him until after the enemy is beat!"

Reecheru whipped around to glare at her retreating friend. "You little brat!" she yelled. "Get back here so that I can beat the crap out of you properly!"

"Don't have the time," Merissa waved behind her. "I've got to make sure that those three reach Luffy in one piece!" She took off running down the back of the stone figure. It was her responsibility that the three in the air didn't get attacked from the ground after all.

"I can't believe her nerve," Reecheru scoffed. She turned around to keep an eye on Zoro and Pica. She froze when she noticed that Zoro was now staring at her. "What?" her voice had gotten lower and her cheeks reddened.

Zoro gave Reecheru a smirk. "She's right you know," he said. "Just wait until after this stone soprano is beaten." Reecheru's face grew even more red at that. She slapped her cheeks in an effort to focus herself.

Zoro returned his attention to Pica. "As for you," he said. His smirk had melted and he was glaring at Pica. "Stop that assimilating with the stone crap."

Pica emerged from the stone once again. He was panting in pain. "How dare you let Rebecca and the others escape?" he demanded.

"Thank you," Zoro gave a slight smirk. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Don't think that shitheads like you can escape this country!" Pica then started attacking with his sword once again. When Zoro blocked him and knocked him back a stone wall rose up between them.

"He never learns," Zoro stated. You could almost hear his eye rolling.

"Be careful Zoro," Rae called out. "He's up to something with that wall. Actually, it's a lot of somethings." No sooner had she fiinished her warning then stone spikes started shooting at Zoro. Zoro smirked as he dodged and sliced through the spikes. He then cut through the wall and stopped their attack.

A shout from Reecheru drew his attention. Looking over he saw a stone hand had a hold of her torso and was holding her in the air. Not too far from where the hand was a second one. It appeared that it had tried to catch Reecheru from behind first. When she had jumped out of the way the second hand appeared and caught her.

Pica let out a satisfied noise. "Doffy will be happy with this," he said.

"Don't you dare!" Zoro yelled at him. The stone arm then started moving along the figure as it headed for the palace. Zoro charged after it, dodging attacks and other attempts from Pica to stop him.


	24. Climbing the Levels

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-three: Climbing the Levels

Merissa ran straight across the first level of the plateau where the palace was. With a path of destruction already clearing the way she was able to reach the wall that separated the first level from the second. She didn't bother looking for a good place to climb. She ran right up the wall. She hated to admit it, but she was tiring. Running across the city, up a mountain of a man, down said mountain and then up another was really draining. Ever since they landed on Dressrosa it had been non-stop action. Added on that she was pouring out a large amount of chakra to run up and down the sides of cliffs. It wasn't any wonder that she was starting to feel the drain.

She reached the second level and noticed right away all the fighting. There was the usual minor army minions of Doflamingo. She didn't pay them any attention at all. Then there were fighters all dressed in weird clothing. She couldn't tell who was on what side if it wasn't for the army minions cheering certain people on. She stayed away from the center of fighting as much as she could. It wouldn't do well for her to be noticed and far less so if someone was to notice who exactly she was guarding. She chanced a quick glance up to see that the three of them were doing fine.

Merissa started to climb up to the third level. The three flyers were nearly there. In just a few moments they would be able to land and take care of themselves. There was some fighting on this level as well, but Merissa ignored the bulk of it. Without as much chaos as the second level spotting the three in the air would be too easy. Merissa made her way to the last cliff and started up. Rebecca's sudden shout drew her attention. Some black balls were heading for the three of them. Merissa started throwing kunai at the balls to stop their path. The balls exploded on impact, but the blast caused both Bortolomeo's beetles and Robin's to start falling.

Merissa looked down as she tried to find out who targeted them. A man with spikey hair and a long trench coat was rushing up to them. Half of his face was covered in some type of cloth and his eyes had goggles over them. "I can't believe someone tried to get to the palace using this method," he lectured.

"It's Gladius," Cub shouted.

Now that her hands were free, Robin could attack. She used her ability and arms grew out of Gladius and stopped him from reaching Rebecca. Robin yelled out as she continued to fall. "Rebecca, take the key to the fourth level. I'll be fine," she said. She then noticed that Merissa had moved to help stop their falling. "Go with her Meri-chan! Make sure that Rebecca is safe until she reaches Luffy and Tra-guy!" Robin continued to fall with Bortolomeo and the Executive Gladius.

Merissa closed her eyes and exhaled. Robin was right, of course. The first order of business was to make sure that Law was set free. Merissa turned around and continued to head up the cliff. Even at this stage, it was possible that Rebecca would need her help. Merissa rushed to reach the top and catch up to her.

Rebecca was just landing when Merissa made it to the top. Leo and Cub moved to the ground next to their feet. "This is the fourth level," Leo said. Rebecca knelt down next to them and thanked them. Merissa was looking around the level. Something just didn't feel quite right to her. The beetles flew off and Rebecca was paying more attention to them then she was her surroundings. Merissa made a mental note to talk to her about it later, once this was all over.

"Rebecca-sama," Leo spoke up again. "We have to go and save Princess Mansherry now. Is it okay to leave you two here?"

"We'll be fine," Rebecca said. "Lucy and the others will be here soon." Leo and Cub bid their farewells and then dashed into the palace.

"I don't like this," Merissa stated. Rebecca turned to look at her. "All the other levels of the palace plateau had some serious players guarding it. A lot of guardians, in fact." She then looked Rebecca in the eye. "What makes this level so different? I can hardly imagine that they would be so confident as to assume that no one will get through."

A breeze rushed over the sunflowers and caused several petals to pull free and float around. Rebecca closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of it. Merissa gritted her teeth in annoyance. She just got done telling Rebecca to basically stay on her guard. This careless behavior would get them killed.

A rustling in the flowers broke Rebecca from her daydream. A man wearing a strange cape with some sort of flower adornment stood in the middle of the flowers. Merissa spared a glance to Rebecca when she heard her sharp intake of breath. "Someone made it here huh?" the strange man asked. Seeing that Rebecca was frozen with fear, Merissa moved to stand in front of her. "It's you," the man grew a strange smile.

"The top Executives of our family are guarding this plateau," the man sneered. "I didn't think anyone could reach it, but there was a slight chance so I've been waiting here. But... Rebecca!" His shout caused Rebecca to shift back a bit. "I can't believe that you made it here!"

The man's posturing finally got to Merissa. She dashed forward with her kunai, almost too fast for the man to block. Their weapons clashed and the man stood there in shock. "You shouldn't ignore the most obvious threat here," Merissa sneered back. "You're just a puffer fish lipped freak clown in my opinion. Let's see you put your skills where your mouth is."

The man started giving off an annoying chuckle. He barely glanced at Merissa before he was back to glaring at Rebecca. Slightly put off at being ignored, Merissa did the one thing that she was best at. Pissing off the male population.

The man went to speak, but was cut short as his face turned blue and he had a pained expression on his face. Rebecca blinked and wondered what happened. She put a hand to her mouth when she realized that Merissa had kneed him in the crotch.

Merissa jumped back and stood in front of Rebecca. "Who is this freak anyway?" she asked.

"He's Diamante," Rebecca explained. "He's on the same level as Pica, the man that could assimilate stone."

"I wasn't that impressed with him," Merissa dismissed. "And I'm not that impressed with this one. It's a weak minded fool that thinks they've won before the battle has even begun."

Diamante shakely stood to his feet, tears in his eyes. "How dare you?" he groaned. "I thought that all the Colosseum fighters and Straw Hat crew were accounted for."

"You really shouldn't ask me stupid questions like that," Merissa stated. "First and foremost, I'm not a Colosseum fighter. Second, I only recently joined the Straw Hat crew, under duress. As for how I dare such a cheap shot. Well, anyone worth their salt knows that all ninjas hardly fight fair. I saw an opening that screamed 'attack', so I did. Not to mention you were irritating the crap out of me."

Diamante grit his teeth and moved in for the attack. Not willing to take a chance with an 'Executive', Merissa activated the Sharingan. Able to predict every move Diamante made, she blocked him strike for strike. Her arms were starting to get a little shaky though. No matter how unskilled or clumsy someone was compared to her, if they were strong enough to take down her reserves then being able to predict them didn't matter. Of course, running a marathon across the entire city certainly didn't help.

Diamante was quick to pick up on the weakness Merissa tried hard to hide. His attacks grew more fierce as he beat down on her blades. "What did you come here for?" he demanded. "Was it to kill Doffy?" His gaze shifted to a still trembling Rebecca. "After that humiliating display you know that you can't beat me. That means you also know that you don't stand a chance against Doffy. Or did you come here for a rematch, hoping a miracle would happen?"

Merissa dodged under one of Diamante's swings and pounced for his neck. He barely managed to use his devil fruit ability to dodge. Even then, a small cut appeared directly under his Adam's Apple. He lifted a shaky hand to look at the blood that was starting to drip down his neck. "Mind games might work on Rebecca," Merissa said. "She is inexperienced after all. However, you don't know me and you don't know what I can do. So your mind games have no effect. Rather than trying to goad the one person that isn't fighting you, perhaps you should concentrate on staying alive." She twirled a second kunai in her other hand. "I may not favor kunai too often, but I'll make an exception with the likes of you. For you to be taken out by a small blade, it would really hurt not only your ego, but that of you boss as well."

"You're not involved in this fight," Diamante snapped. "This is between the little tramp and myself. I'm sure that she would want to avenge her mother on me!"

A shifting in the leaves caused Merissa to glance away for a second. Rebecca was approaching them with her sword drawn. She had a severe expression on her face as she glared at Diamante. "Sure!" Diamante spread his arms out. He was focused on Rebecca approaching them. "If you want to challenge me, I accept!" He started laughing maniacally. Merissa watched Rebecca as she bit her lip through the internal struggle. She smirked when she saw Rebecca's conviction solidify. She wouldn't fight Diamante, not when Luffy would soon be here.

With Diamante's focus still on Rebecca, who only gave the appearance she would fight him, Merissa acted. She drew a large number of shuriken and threw them at the idiot that had his arms spread open. Diamante flinched as a large number of cuts started appearing on his body. He turned and glared a Merissa. "How da..."

"Ninja," Merissa interrupted. "Or did you forget I don't play fair? Should I give you another kick to reinforce that message and drive it home or do you think you can actually remember that this time?"

Diamante became so enraged that he had enough. He used his flag ability and his sword started swaying around. He swung it down and a large area of flowers was slashed down to the grass. Merissa and Rebecca were both thrown back. Rebecca took the worst of it, her armor protected far less than Merissa's clothing. As Merissa was struggling to stand, she saw Diamante standing over Rebecca with a gun pointed down at her. Merissa tried harder to stand. She had to get over there.

The look on Rebecca's face was heartwrenching. "Soldier-san!" Rebecca's cry echoed across the field. Diamante's smirk grew as he started to pull the trigger. Merissa was standing on her feet, reaching for a shurikan to knock away the gun.

"REBECCA!" The new shout froze Merissa in her tracks. She watched as a man with one leg rushed forward and slashed at Diamante. He had succeeded in protecting Rebecca where she couldn't.

As Diamante fell back he realized who was his new attacker. "You're Kyros!" he yelled out before his back hit the ground.

The newcomer stood protectively in front of Rebecca. "I won't let you take another member of my family away from me!" he shouted.

Rebecca picked herself up to her hands and knees. Her eyes were filled with tears and her lips were trembling. She was trying so hard not to start crying. She wanted to approach the man in front of her. Merissa moved over and knelt next to Rebecca. She noted that the both of them had a number of cuts from Diamante's attack. As a medic nin she was trained to act in the midst of battle. Now that she wasn't the dominate fighter on their team she could concentrate on what she did best.

Before Merissa could start work on healing Rebecca, Kyros spoke. "I'm sorry Rebecca," he said. "As a toy with no future all I could was teach you how to fight. Even though you're a gentle person like your mother. But it ends today!" Rebecca had put her head down as she listened to his speech. He last sentence had her picking up her head and looking at him in confusion. Kyros turned and looked down at her. "You don't have to fight anymore."

Kyros and Diamante then confronted one another. Both taking their concentration off of Rebecca and Merissa by proxy. Merissa put a gentle hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "Let's get that shoulder looked at," she said. "It must hurt like a bitch." Merissa poured what little chakra she had left into her hand and placed it over the wound. "It's not going to heal all the way," she warned. "I don't have enough energy left for that. I can, however, make it so that the bleeding stops and the wound isn't so deep. You might have a slight scar when it heals. A lot better than the one you would have if I wasn't around." Merissa smirked at Rebecca playfully, trying to ease the tension.

"What about your wounds?" Rebecca asked.

"They're not as bad as yours," Merissa dismissed. "Besides, you haven't met my best friend yet. These cuts are nothing compared to the bruises she hands out."

"Was she the one you were talking to on Pica's figure?" Rebecca asked.

"The very same."

"She didn't seem like she was that violent."

"More often than not, looks are deceiving." The two looked back over when they heard Diamante refer to Kyros as a monster. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

"Rebecca!" The voice caused Rebecca to climb to her feet and rush to the edge. A set of transparent stairs connected this level to the one below them.

"How did we miss that?" Merissa eyed it. She heard the clashing of swords and shook her head. "Nevermind, anyone would go blind having to look at that freak." She grew silent as both she and Rebecca saw Luffy running up the stairs. "Why is he acting like the hounds of hell are on his heels?" Merissa hadn't seen Luffy act like this yet. She had a feeling that it wasn't common-place.

"Rebecca!" Luffy yelled again. "The key!"

"We all made it," Rebecca sighed. She stiffened at the sight of a toy coming out of the smoke in Luffy's wake. Luffy dodged it, kicked it in the head and then used it as a vault to jump over the edge of the level.

"So the hounds were on his heels," Merissa mused.

"Now's hardly the time to make jokes," Rebecca cried.

"The key," Luffy repeated. "Give it to me now!"

Rebecca held the key above her head. "Here it is," she said.

Merissa's eyes widened as she looked at her. "You can't be serious," she said. "He said to give it to him." Merissa took the key out of Rebecca's hand. As this was going on the toy had made another jump for Luffy and Law. It opened it's large mouth wide and started to swallow the two of them. Merissa threw the key with all her might. It disappeared into the black void of the toy's mouth with Luffy and Law. Rebecca stared at the scene in horror, thinking it was the end and fell to her knees.

Merissa kept a keen eye on the toy. As a toy, it was essentially hollow and posed no real danger to anyone should it swallow them, in theory anyway. A transparent sphere surrounded the toy and it was suddenly split into many smaller pieces. The pieces then fell down to the previous level.

Luffy and Law landed not too far away from where the two women were located. Rebecca was still on her knees and Merissa smirked at them. "You have quite the flare for the dramatics," she teased. "Just look at what you put this poor girl through. You scared her half to death."

Luffy turned to look at Merissa with his usual grin and laugh. He and Law then turned to the sound of fighting. "We finally caught up with him," Luffy stated. Law shouldered his sword as he glared down to where the cuffs had fallen.

"I'm finally free," Law said.

Luffy took in the sight of the slightly ruined palace. "We've finally reached the fourth level where the palace and Mingo are. Is that where he is?"

"Yeah," Law's voice took on a tone of anticipation. Diamante's yelling drew both of their attentions. Law looked at him with nothing except scorn. He said his name as if he was spitting out rotten milk.

This caused Diamante to loose his temper and charge at the two pirate captains. He was cut of by Kyros blocking his attack. "I'm sorry you two," Kyros said. "My hands are full with this guy. Could you take care of Doflamingo for me?"

Neither of them hesitated in their answer. At the same time they answered, "Of course!"

"Then I'll leave that guy up to you soldier," Luffy said. He then turned and looked over to where Merissa and Rebecca were. He looked over the two of them carefully. He could tell that Rebecca wasn't really a fighter to begin with. He then took in Merissa. "Robin and Crest-head are on the level below," he said. "They could use some help."

Merissa let out a smirk. He had a knack for seeing the potential in people. "I'll head down as soon as I'm sure Rebecca doesn't need me." Luffy nodded to her once.

"Let's go Straw Hat-ya," Law said. He started walking towards the hole in the side of the wall to the palace.

"Okay," Luffy started to follow him. He stopped and ran backwards until he was close to Rebecca. Then he knelt down and faced her. "Oh yeah, Rebecca!" Luffy grinned at her with nothing but teeth. "I bet you're glad to see your dad." Rebecca bit her lip and nodded her head. Luffy stood up, his smile lessening somewhat, but still cheerful. "Thank you for the key. See you!" He then turned and started running to catch up to Law.

Before he could go too far Rebecca called after him, "Hey Lucy!" Luffy stopped in his running. "Are you really... Are you really going to beat Doflamingo?"

Luffy lifted his hat, that had been resting on his back, onto the top of his head. "I'm not Lucy," he said. He then turned towards Rebecca once again. He had a smile on his face. "My name is Luffy," he continued. "The man who will become the King of the Pirates!" Diamante glared at him, Kyros glanced in his direction, Law smirked and Merissa had a smile as she shook her head. "So don't worry." He turned back around and started running once again. When he was next to Law, he also started running to match Luffy's pace so they were running side-by-side.

"The King of Pirates!?" Diamante yelled.

"You're fighting me," Kyros attacked a distracted Diamante.

Diamante grabbed his fallen gun and started firing on Kyros. Kyros blocked the lead balls with his sword. While Kyros was busy with that, Diamante struck out against Luffy and Law. Law grabbed a hold of Luffy's shirt. "Room," he called out. "Shambles!" Not only were the two able to dodge the attack, but because Law had them switch places with a barrel they were now inside the palace courtyard.

Merissa laughed at the look on Diamante's face. She then turned to look at Rebecca. "Are you good?" she asked. "I'm going to see if Robin needs my help." Rebecca looked to where Kyros and Diamante were fighting. Merissa followed her train of sight. "Try not to get too close to the fight," she advised. "Also, avoid letting the fight get too close to you. If you see it coming closer, move away. Your father is fighting against a tough opponent. The only thing you can do right now is to stay out of his way."

"You think that I can't fight?" Rebecca asked.

"That's not it," Merissa shook her head. "It's just that if you try, Kyros will put himself in more danger trying to keep you from fighting. He said it himself, you don't have to fight anymore. He's a father trying to protect his daughter. That includes from the harsh realities of war. I don't blame him for not wanting you to know what it feels like to spill another's blood, let alone take a life."

Rebecca nodded her head in understanding. "I'll make sure to stay out of the way," she promised. Merissa nodded and then jumped off of the cliff. In short work she was on level ground again. Robin was the first one to notice her. Merissa walked next to her and faced off against an army of nutcrackers.

"How is Rebecca?" Robin asked.

"She's fine," Merissa said. "Luffy and Law went into the palace while Kyros was fighting Diamante."

Robin stiffened and blinked at Merissa. "One of the top Executives?" she asked.

Merissa nodded and got into a battle stance. "That's right," she said. "For the moment, it should be fine. Rebecca knows enough to stay away from the two of them fighting. I also told her not to get involved. It's safer for her there then down here. I was told by Luffy to come help you after making sure she would fine. Both Rebecca and I felt you needed the help more. So I came to help you clean up here. Then we'll see if Rebecca needs any help." Robin nodded her head in understanding.

The nutcrackers were getting closer, putting the four pirates on edge. Merissa looked up to the sky when she heard a small explosion. Some sort of object was flying up and towards the palace. She traced it's trajectory and saw that it had come from where they left Usopp and the others. "What are they up to?"

Shortly after the explosion, the toys stopped and started shaking. The toys then started falling apart. "Why are they going down by themselves?" Bortolomeo asked.

"The toys..." Robin stared at them closely.

"This feels familiar," Merissa mused. The toy nutcrackers then started turning back into Doflamingo soldiers. One nutcracker was made up of several soldiers and since there had to have been at least a dozen nutcrackers the four pirates found themselves severly outnumbered. "Well that's just peachy."

"I had thought they were giant toys," Robin said sadly. "It turns out that they were just several humans turned into one toy."

Merissa eyed Robin at her tone. "You sound like you'd rather deal with carnivorous giant toys instead of wimpy soldiers," she pointed out.

Robin turned to look at her. "Do you happen to know where we could find some?"

"You're hopeless."

"They turned their own people into toys!?" 'Cabbage' asked in disgust. "How could they do that to their own soldiers!?"

"Take a chill pill Blondie," Merissa rolled her eyes. "Let the enemy dig their own grave, the soldiers will turn on them when they learn the truth."

" _ **If**_ they learn the truth. By the way, MY NAME IS NOT CABBAGE! IT'S NOT BLONDIE OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF! MY NAME IS CAVENDISH!"

"No need to shout," Merissa cleaned out one of her ears. "You can hardly blame me for calling you Blondie. No one has taken the time to tell me your name. So the next time you decide to yell at me remember one thing." Merissa was in front of Cavendish before he could blink with a kunai to his throat. "I don't take lightly to people yelling at me for no reason." She pulled back when Cavendish nodded his head.

Crying drew all of their attention at that moment. "It was horrible," one of the soldiers was in tears as he fell to his knees.

"We thought we'd end up as toys for the rest of our lives," another commented. He was more stunned than in tears.

Gladius glanced at all of the soldiers and then back to the pirates. "That wouldn't be," he called their attention. "We would have turned you back as soon as the battle ended, of course." The soldiers then let out their cries of relief and praise.

"What a liar," Merissa spat out. "I bet he could sell his grandma her own teeth if he was so inclined."

"What would you know about Gladius-sama?" a soldier demanded.

"I know the enemy takes drastic measures when it's loosing," Merissa smirked. "Like turning faithful soldiers into giant, industructible toys to gain the favor in a battle kind of drastic."

"The Don Quixote Family would never treat us like that," another argued.

"Let me ask you a few things," Merissa crossed her arms. "Were you asked to volunteer to become toys? Were you told you would be turned back? When the citizens of Dressrosa were turned into toys did you remember them? What guarantee do you have that you would have been returned to normal? You're all a bunch of sheep to follow anyone around so blindly based on their words alone. If my captain broke my trust in him like that I wouldn't stick around, let alone defend his actions."

Merissa's words were angering the soldiers. They couldn't admit she had a point. If they did that would be admitting they were on the wrong side. They couldn't do that, their side just had to win.

"My barrier is fully charged!" Bortolomeo charged to the front of the pirates.

"Way to spoil a tense situation," Merissa rolled her eyes.

"I won't let you guys ascend any further," he ignored her.

"You think you got the better of me just because the toys are gone?" Gladius focused his attention on Bortolomeo. "I'll smash that groundless confidence of yours to pieces." The sleeve on his coat puffed up as he readied an attack.

Robin moved close to Merissa, hands in position to use her ability if needed. "We won't let you get in Luffy's way," she smiled serenely. She angled herself so that it was clear she had included Merissa in that statment.

"I'm gonna take down an executive of the Don Quixote Family," Cavendish bragged. "Then I'll become even more popular!"

"How exactly are you popular now?" Merissa asked. "I haven't seen you do anything useful yet? Do you even know how to swing that sword?" Cavendish turned to glare at her. His attention was immediately brought back when soldiers started running at them.

"Barrier Crush!" One of Bortolomeo's barriers appeared in front of them suddenly. The soldiers had no time to stop themselves before they ran right into it. The barrier then shot off, sending the soldiers flying.

"Mil Fleurs!" Robin started her technique as she closed her eyes. "Gigantesco Mano! Stomp!" Giant legs appeared out of the ground and started stomping on the soldiers that would come within range. Cavendish used his own attack with his sword and took out another group.

A large number of soldiers ran at Merissa. They were angry at her for calling them nothing more than blind sheep. Merissa smirked when they got close enough and punched the ground. Cracks appeared in all of the stone as the ground seemed to give way. The area that the soldiers were running on rippled and ruptured, causing them to loose their footing.

"You have devil fruit powers?" Bortolomeo asked.

"Not in the slightest," Merissa dismissed. "This is a technique that's been passed down in my family. Those of us that become medic nins have a particular skill for it. Basically, I manipulate the chakra and how much I put out. The more chakra the more destruction."

"I thought you used up all of your chakra," Robin noted. She blinked when Merissa turned to face them. A small triangle appeared in the middle of Merissa's forehead.

Merissa fingered the spot where she knew the triangle was. Of course she couldn't feel anything there, it was just a coloring of her skin. "It's a side effect," Merissa said. "While I have used up the chakra I normally have on any given day, there is a way to store extra chakra through the years and use it in certain situations. The mark on my forehead is a side effect of tapping into my 'store house', if you will."

The amount of soldiers was slowly dwindling down. Bortolomeo created another barrier to stop enemy reinforcements from getting to their level. Robin was slightly behind him, using her ability to grow arms on the enemy and then to bend them backwards, breaking their backs. Merissa fought using a little of the extra chakra she had stored. Her speed was faster then the normal human and able to get ahead of them.

Robin glanced up to the fourth level. She knew that Luffy had given Merissa an order to help her, but she wished she had stayed with Rebecca. Merissa noticed the look on her face. "You could always go and check on her yourself," she said between enemies.

"I'm just not sure if she's safe," Robin admitted. "From this point on it's a battle of monsters."

"Go ahead Robin-senpai," Bortolomeo said. The two women looked at him. "I know how you feel. Leave this place in my hands. Go on!"

Robin glanced at him and nodded once. "Pierna Fleurs!" Legs started sprouting along the wall in a stair pattern. Robin started running up them and the legs disappeared after she was past.

Bortolomeo was daydreaming about how he was helping Robin. He never noticed how an enemy got around his barrier and snuck up behind him. He was pulled from his fantasy by the sound of a body hitting the ground. He looked to see Merissa smirking at him. "Keep an eye on your backside," she said. "That's the last time I'm looking out for you while your fangirling."


	25. An Attacking Plateau

First of all, I'd like to wish Zoro a late Happy Birthday. It was yesterday, Nov. 11. Second, I'm posting today instead of tomorrow in celebration of my own birthday. Which is Nov. 12. When I found out what day Zoro's birthday was I couldn't stop laughing. Lol. Scorpios Represent! On with the story.

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-four: An Attacking Plateau

Reecheru used her hands to try and pull herself free of the stone grip she was in. The fist only held her tighter. It was making it hard for her to breathe. She then made the necessary symbols with her hands and two clones appeared. They started to chase after the hand that held her captive. Zoro was being blocked from catching up by stone pillars, spears and walls forcing him to stop and cut a way through. Pica didn't bother stopping the clones, he was convinced they had no power as long as the original wasn't able to control them.

One of the clones held her hand out as they ran to catch up to the moving stone arm. The other moved her hands over the open palm of the other. Zoro was directly behind the two of them, watching with both curiosity and anger. He was curious about what they were trying to do without Reecheru directing them and angry she had let herself fall into this type of situation. Or was he angry at himself for not forcing her to leave the battle while he had a chance?

The second clone disappeared with a pop as the attack was finished being made. The first clone picked up the pace, her attack held closely so she could pour chakra into it and so that it wouldn't be set off on accident. When she was close enough to the giant arm she jumped into the air and slammed the attack on the base joint of the thumb. From that point down, the stone hand started to break apart.

Reecheru felt herself begin to freefall. She braced herself, getting ready to land on her feet in the midst of falling rocks. Two arms wrapped around her from behind. Reecheru looked to see Zoro's face set in stone as he faced ahead. He pushed the two of them through the falling rocks. They were able to come to a stop somewhere in the middle of the stone figure's back.

Now on her feet, Reecheru went to move away from Zoro. His arms tightened around her, causing her to look over her shoulder at him. With the speed of a cracking whip, one of Zoro's hands went to the back of her head and his face dove forward. Reecheru didn't have a single warning on his plan. Zoro pulled back with a smirk. Reecheru's cheeks were tinged pink as she looked up at him.

Snapping back to reality, Reecheru lightly smacked Zoro on the chest. "You're not supposed to be getting a kiss until after Pica is beat," she chastised. "On top of that, who gave you permission to steal a kiss?"

"I'm a pirate," Zoro smirked. "You should be more surprised I waited this long. As for the kiss when we beat Pica." He leaned closer until their breaths were mingling. "I fully intend to collect. That kiss will make the one we just had seem casual." Reecheru's cheeks darkened from pink to red.

Zoro tightened his arms around Reecheru's waist and jumped. Several spikes had appeared where Zoro had been standing. "That woman belongs to Doffy," Pica's voice sounded.

Zoro looked disinterested in the stone man who reappeared. He smirked as he let Reecheru go. As soon as his hand left from around her waist she took off like a shot. Pica barely managed to sink into the stone before a kick went flying over his head.

Reecheru landed on her feet and looked around. She stared hard at where most of the energy Pica gave off was gathering. "I don't belong to anyone!" she snapped. "It's my choice who I join forces with and I choose the Straw Hats! Any man that tries to claim me as his has a death wish!"

Zoro smirked over at Reecheru and drew his swords once again. "It would be disappointing if you were any different. Now let's finish off this soprano-voiced dumbass." Zoro blocked an attack from a sword coming down on his head. Pica had appeared again to attack him for the insult. Pica screamed as Zoro met his sword without any effort.

Placing Wado in his mouth, Zoro leapt back and took a stance. "Three-sword style!" He got down on one knee and raised his swords. He swiped the two in his hands in a slashing motion in front of him. "One Hundred and Eight Pound Phoenix!" The force of Zoro's attack had him slipping backwards. The attack hit Pica straight on and would have killed him if he hadn't turned his body to stone. As it was, Zoro's attack blasted the new stone statue to bits. Zoro glared at the spot.

"That asshole," he growled. "He always escapes." He stood up straight and turned to face Reecheru. "How was it that he was able to catch you in the first place?"

"He just got really lucky," Reecheru said off-handedly. "I'll explain it in more detail a little later. Right now I'd rather avoid a repeat situation. Let's just say, it was a one in million chance." Zoro looked at her for a few more seconds and then dropped the subject.

The two had to jump apart as a large figure appeared out of the back of the first. Pica was once again making a giant stone version of himself. It was slightly smaller than the first, but still as big as a small mountain. When the two were separated Pica started attacking Zoro. It swung it's fist at him and barely missed. "Damnit!" Zoro cursed. He was falling backwards through the air.

"Where did he go?" Pica's high-pitch voice rang through the air. When he spotted Zoro falling, with no way to dodge, he brought his fist down on him again.

Zoro stared at the approaching fist. In the air, he couldn't dodge. His only choice was to cut it with his swords and hope he got away. He was about to begin his counterattack when a puff of smoke next to him drew his attention. Reecheru had suddenly appeared next to him. She grabbed his sleeve and flung him out of the line of fire. As he was moving away Zoro glanced back. Reecheru's form disappeared the same way it had appeared just before the fist reached her.

Zoro landed on his feet and skid back a little. Reecheru was running up to him from where ever she had landed. "That was a nice move," he grinned. Zoro turned his attention back to Pica, who was staring at him with hate.

"Clones," Reecheru said with a grin. "Not just useful for distractions." Pica's fist raised and started coming towards them again. "Did you know the sign of insanity is repeating the same action over and over again, expecting a different result?" She dodged out of the way as Zoro prepared his swords.

Zoro glared up at Pica. He was really getting on his last nerves. When the fist was about to hit him he swung his swords. Reecheru had a point. Every time Pica punched him like this he just slashed the stone into pieces. Yet Pica insisted on using the same attack over and over.

Reecheru raised an arm to shield her eyes. The shockwave resulting from Pica's fist landing caused debris to go flying. Several weaker soldiers who had been near the area had been sent flying. Once the wind died down, Reecheru took stock of their location. They were on the palace plateau, second level.

"Is Pirate Hunter dead?" a soldier asked.

Reecheru picked up a large rock and threw it. It hit the offending soldier square in the head, right between the eyes. "As if Zoro would be so weak," she snapped. The soldier fell backwards from the force of the rock. "As my man, something as simple as a mountain falling on him wouldn't hurt him."

"How is a mountain falling on anyone simple?" Another soldier stared at the pale-eyed woman in shock.

The cracking of a stone drew everyones attention. Pica's arm started to split and the split continued up towards it's body. The eyes deadened and turned to just normal stone before the split could reach it's face. The soldiers started crying out for Pica. Reecheru ignored them and took stock of Zoro's condition. He was a little filthier, but unharmed.

"This 'stone' doesn't know when to give up," Zoro cursed. He glanced over to Reecheru, also making sure she was unharmed. "'Your man', huh?"

"Don't want to be?" Reecheru asked with a smirk.

"Only if I get to refer to you as my woman."

Reecheru folded her arms across her chest, put her weight on one leg so that her hip shifted to the side and looked up as if in thought. "Hmmm," one hand lifted so that she could tap her chin. Reecheru nodded twice and looked back down. "I suppose that would only be fair."

"I don't believe this," a soldier mused. "Neither one of them is taking Pica-sama seriously?"

"Wait a second," another spoke up. "Isn't that the woman that Doflamingo-sama wants brought to him alive? She's worth six-hundred million!"

Reecheru's eyes shifted to look at them when the discussion turned to how they were going to capture her and then split the money. In an instant there were twenty Reecherus on the second level. The soldiers stiffened as each one seemed to become a one-on-one target under their gaze. One female voice spoke from the middle of the crowd of Reecherus. It was calm and soft, but held a world of meaning. "Get 'em." The soldiers took off running as the army of women charged forward.

As the soldiers were running another form of Pica emerged from the dust cloud that Zoro had created from his last attack. "You think that you can beat me just because you know how my ability works?" Pica asked. He towered over Zoro and Reecheru as he looked down on them. Zoro stood at the ready with his swords out to his sides. "What a simpleton!" The head then turned and started to 'run' away.

"Wait!" Zoro chased after it. Reecheru followed, prepared to protect Zoro from opportunistic little idiots of the Doflamingo army if needed. It wasn't long before the two of them came across a group that was trying to stop them. "What a pain in the ass," Zoro complained. His shoulders straightened and he looked shocked. "Huh?"

A man in a burgundy pirate coat and hat wearing green shorts marched in their direction. "Commodore Dignity!" he yelled. "Atten-hut!" The Doflamingo soldiers in the vicinity immediately lined up and stood at attention.

"They look like a bunch of sheep," Reecheru pointed out. Zoro snickered at her comment about the gullible group.

"Sound off!" The men in line then started to count one to ten, starting at one end of the line and going to the other. At the odd display, Zoro pulled Wado out of his mouth in confusion. The 'Commodore' then held another soldier in his hand like a ball. All the while the man was crying for mercy. The 'Commodore' moved his arm with the soldier behind his back.

"Why are we lining up?" one of the soldiers asked.

"Because you're sheep," Reecheru answered. She had her camera snail out and at the ready.

"Killer Bowling!" The 'Commodore' threw the man he was holding towards the others that were lined up. All ten of them were thrown into the air as if they were bowling pins.

"Ah shit," Reecheru cursed. She had just realized she and Zoro were in the direct path of the living bowling ball. The two of them jumped out of the way. The 'ball' continued to speed past the two of them. He crashed into the back of the first Pica figure.

Zoro and Reecheru started to run past the Commodore. "You're something," Zoro complimented.

"You two can go ahead," the Commodore allowed.

"Yeah," Zoro nodded his head. "You're from the Colosseum, right?"

"That's right," the Commodore agreed. "My name is Orlumbus. If this were the sea I would've backed you up with my Yontamaria Fleet." Zoro and Reecheru ran past him, Zoro with a huge grin on his face. "I'm sorry to be short-handed. I leave the stone monster to you." Zoro quickly agreed.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Reecheru asked.

"You can't guess?" Zoro glanced at her. "It's because this battle is nearly at an end."

"I thought you liked to fight."

"I'm looking forward to that kiss that I was promised."

"I promised you no such thing."

"I promised myself."

"You're such a pirate."

"I don't hear you disagreeing."

The two of them ran for a little while. "Where did that shithead go!?" Zoro asked. He was looking around and still couldn't find the stone man.

Reecheru stared all around them. "It looks like he's trying to take control of the entire plateau," she warned. No sooner had she voiced her warning then Pica's face became the actual plateau cliff-face. Reecheru berated herself in her head for coming up with such a bad pun.

"The face on the wall," Zoro pointed out. Reecheru had a hard time not snapping at him, he didn't know of the bad pun she had just thought of. He was never going to know either, not if she had any say in it.

The soldiers started freaking out over what Pica was doing. "They sound like this is a huge surprise," Reecheru shook her head. "He's taking drastic measures." She noticed that Zoro was looking at her from the corner of his eye. "He's realized that you're not easily beaten. What usually works for him isn't working any longer. He has to change his strategy if he wants to have even a hope of beating you."

Pica's eyes turned to look at Zoro and Reecheru. The two of them stopped in their tracks. The face then started saying his own name several times, followed by several odd squeaks. "Now can you get away from my attacks?" he finally asked.

Zoro's teeth grew sharp and his eyes turned white and angry. "Was that how you laugh?" he demanded.

"What?" Pica asked in surprise. "So what if that's how I laugh?"

"I'm surprised because it sounded so stupid!"

"You're the stupid one Pirate Hunter!" a soldier that had been close yelled. "Don't piss off Pica-sama!" The cliff started to shake and the soldiers tried to calm Pica down.

Pica called off an attack. Zoro stared at the approaching spikes, not impressed. Reecheru sighed and rolled her eyes. It was the same type of attack that they had been dealing with since the start, just on a larger scale. This man must truly be insane. She was pulled from her thoughts when Zoro put an arm around her waist and carried her with him as he dodged the attack.

Zoro landed on the top of the spike with Reecheru while the soldiers were knocked off of the plateau. Zoro gave off a condescending chuckle as he looked up to Pica. "It's good that you're a giant," he laughed. His eye was narrowed as he focused on Pica. "It'll feel good to slice you in half."

"So here's a thought," Reecheru whispered to Zoro. "He's so hung up on beating you up we can use that." Zoro glanced at her for an instant. "He won't be paying attention to your location. If you run around the level you can use him to take out their own soldiers. It would ease the tension for the Colosseum fighters and give them a break. If he takes down one or two of the executives, even better right?" Zoro gave her a smirk and started running towards a group of Doflamingo soldiers.

Just like Reecheru said he would, Pica attacked without taking notice of who Zoro was close to. Several spikes appeared and knocked around the soldiers in their attempt to reach Zoro. Each spike missed it's target as Zoro weaved through them. Pica was laughing the whole while, despite not hitting his target. He stopped briefly as one of the executives lectured him about the others being there.

Zoro and Reecheru moved forward as they ran across the second level. "So what exactly are we looking for here?" Reecheru asked him.

"Look for a weak spot," Zoro answered. He looked over to Reecheru and made eye contact. "I know you can do it. You're my woman after all."

Reecheru let out a puff of air through her nose. "Well, you sure know how to sweet talk a girl, don't you?" She turned her attention back to the plateau, looking for any clue from Pica that his real body was about to become exposed for Zoro to attack. The ultimate question, could the attack hit him before he melded back into the stone?

"Here I come Roronoa!" The shout stopped the two short and caused them to turn around.

"He's..." Zoro looked up at the attacking figure.

"Destructive One Thousand Ton Vice!" Zoro crossed his swords in front of him. The man was on a direct path to him. Reecheru was already out of the line of fire.

"IT'S FAR DEEPER THAN THAT!" An actual giant emerged from the dust. Reecheru made a mental note to ask about the dust content of the island. There seemed to be a lot of it blowing around. "I'm sorry but," the giant looked to Zoro. "Let me take care of that guy." Zoro didn't respond beyond lowering his swords and watching.

The attacking man changed his course. "Hajrudin!" he yelled. "I can't believe that you're still alive-in!" The fat, falling man continued to yell taunts at the giant.

Reecheru looked the giant over. "He's in bad shape," she said to Zoro. "It's a miracle that he can even stand up, let alone be conscious. He must have some will power to push himself into the fight like this."

"That's the best kind of fighter," Zoro smirked. "The ones that are willing to put their life on the line for what they believe in."

The giant punched upwards, towards the falling executive. With the weight of the executive, when his punch hit it was stopped in it's tracks. Hajrudin gave his all into the attack. Reecheru winced when the sound of multiple bones being crushed reached her ears. She was sure Zoro heard it as well, but he continued to stare at the fight. Not once did he wince or shirk away. He was paying Hajrudin a man's, or giant's, respect by not cheapening the sacrifice. Men did not look away when something got bad. They stood strong and acted as a pillar for those that couldn't. Hajrudin's very teeth started to shatter at the pressure the executive was putting on his body.

When the ground started to give, Zoro moved slightly. His lifted his head and he braced himself to jump in. It proved to be unnecessary, however, as Hajrudin dug deep inside for his reserves. With a loud battle cry, Hajrudin threw Mach Vise high into the air at an incredible speed with his punch. Vise hit the birdcage above, sending a shower of blood raining down on the giant and soldiers directly under him.

A few moments later, Mach Vise hit the ground hard a short distance away. "I guess he couldn't fly out there," Hajrudin commented. "He's not even a bird." The soldiers that had been rushing to Vise's rescue soon found themselves crushed by a falling giant, clearly exhausted and in need of healing.

Zoro walked up to the head of the sleeping giant. "Have a good rest," he said. It was clear the giant couldn't hear him. "When you wake up the birdcage will be gone."

Zoro watched as Reecheru went up to Hajrudin and bent to his ear. "Thank you very much," she said. "You're the strongest giant in the world." She kissed his cheek lightly and rushed to Zoro's side. He was staring hard at her. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Not at all," Zoro looked back towards Pica. "He might be the strongest giant, but he's not the strongest man." He looked back when he felt Reecheru kiss his cheek. "And you have terrible aim."

"Next time I'll do better," Reecheru walked away. Zoro had a scowl on his face. His tactic to get her to kiss him on the lips then had failed. Zoro moved to follow, but she broke out into a run. Zoro picked up the pace.

Reecheru turned to look to the side quickly. She then looked back over her shoulder. "He's going to throw spikes again!" When Pica's attack went off, Zoro was ready. This time, instead of dodging the spikes like he was forced to, he cut through them. He noted that Pica was trying hard to separate him from Reecheru. His smirk turned sadistic at the thought.

As Pica continued the attack, Zoro followed the same strategy as before. He made sure to run through areas that were crowded with Doflamingo soldiers. Again, Pica attacked without care of their own men. When the attack stopped Zoro glared at Pica. "What a jerk," he snapped. "He really doesn't care if he's attacking friend or foe." He glanced to his side when Reecheru was able to get close to him again. "The only one he's careful not to hurt is you." He then looked back to a 'laughing' Pica. "Must have something to do with Doflamingo's bounty on you. It's starting to get on my nerves."

"It bothers you that I'm not being attacked?" Reecheru raised an eyebrow.

"It bothers me that someone has a bounty on you for whatever reason," Zoro corrected.

Reecheru stared at him for a moment, then turned back to Pica. "I've said it before," Reecheru answered. "Doflamingo told my clone he wanted to learn my abilities and make me a member of his so called family."

"There has to be more to it," Zoro growled. "Even their normal 'family' members don't get any special treatment. Ever since that stone quit trying to squish everything he's been careful to make sure you don't get hurt. There has to be something more to it."

"I don't know about you," Reecheru started on the move again. "But that's something I would rather never know." Zoro grunted in agreement as he was on the move again as well.

"I'll crush you into green mush," Pica laughed.

Zoro's eye started twitching. "Bring it on you piece of stone," he said through grit teeth. The spikes started up once again.

It took a few minutes for the attacking Pica to stop. Reecheru looked to where it's face was located. The eyes were shifting back and forth. "It's seems like it lost sight of us for the moment," she pointed out. The two of them were perched on one of the spikes. "It's not surprising with all the dust in the air. With so many fights going on it must be difficult to keep track of anything if he doesn't use haki."

"You're sure he doesn't use haki?" Zoro asked.

"He hasn't found us yet," Reecheru answered. "Not only that, if he was using haki he would have caused you at least some type of damage. Worst thing that's happened to you so far is that your clothes are dirty."

"You notice that of all things?"

"I've been keeping an eye out for injuries on you," Reecheru said. "I need to be able to tell the difference between blood and filth."

The sounds of a fierce battle broke their conversation. The two watched as a strange battle took place below them. First, a man and woman around their age fought at the same time two old men fought not far from them. Then one of the old men turned and fought the younger man while the woman held a gun to her head. After defeating the old man, the younger one stopped her. The second old man joined the battle. After a few minutes, not only was the second man defeated, but some Doflamingo soldiers were as well. The young man and woman were snuggling up as it was announced he was the official heir of the Happosui Army.

Zoro looked down at it all with a critical eye. "How destructive," he commented. "I heard that name before. The Happosui Army from Kano. We'll need to keep it in mind. Anyone can become our enemy at any time." He looked up to Reecheru. She had also been watching the fight. She glanced back at Zoro, nodded and back again.

Reecheru watched as the leader of the Happosui Army ran to his grandfather, followed closely by the former female executive Baby 5. "Looks like we're not the only ones to find romance on the battlefield. Those two have known each other a lot less then you and I have known each other and are already planning a wedding."

Zoro turned to look at her. "Are you jealous of that?" he asked.

"Hardly," Reecheru scoffed. "I prefer to take my time. Savor the adventure of getting to know one another. If, and I do mean if, we do take things to that level you must meet with my family beforehand."

"Worried they won't approve of me?" he smirked.

"No," Reecheru disagreed. "I'm worried they'd kill me. Hokage-sama being the first in line. As it is, just the information that I'm in a relationship is going to send them all into shock. Perhaps some might require medical attention."

"That bad huh?"

"Let's just say that several past suitors have required medical attention of their own." Reecheru glanced to the side. "Time's up!" The two of them jumped as a spike aimed for Zoro's head. The two landed on the second level as more soldiers were sent flying from one of their leader's attacks. When the attack finally stopped, Pica let out that weird laugh once again.

Zoro glared at him as the laughing continued. His ire rising at a steady pace so long as the laughing didn't stop. "Quit making me say it!" he finally snapped. "The way you laugh is weird. Just shut up already!"

"What's wrong with laughing while having fun?" Pica asked just before attacking Zoro yet again. After several spikes came out, he lost track of both Zoro and Reecheru from all the dust he was kicking up.

Zoro jumped up, using the dust as cover, and attacked Pica's face. The eyes faded to stone just before the attack hit. "He escaped again," Zoro seethed.

"Careful Zoro!" Reecheru's shout reached him. "His attack is aimed right for you."

Zoro readied Shusui as another spike sped towards him. "That lame, one trick pony," he cursed. Shusui split the spike in half. Zoro landed in a crouch not far from Reecheru. "I don't like it." His eye shifted to the side.

A Colosseum warrior wearing boxing gloves and a crown stood over him. "Do you want me to assist you, Pirate Hunter?" he asked.

"It's you," Zoro said helpfully.

"My name is Elizabello," he responded. "King Riku is an old friend of mine. This country belongs to my friend." As he talked Elizabello threw punches at the air once in a while. "My king punch is a trump card I can resort to once an hour." Zoro stood up, checked Reecheru over and then looked towards Pica. "Did you figure out the stone man's ability?"

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. He made a gesture towards Reecheru. "We did long ago."

"Then leave him to me," Elizabello said.

Shusui let out a noise as Zoro gripped it more firmly. An evil look slowly spread across his face. "Thanks, but _**I**_ will be the one to take him down." He glanced over in Reecheru's direction again. "I owe him for trying to kidnap someone earlier. You better save your 'trump card'. We still don't know what's to come." The conversaton was broken as another spike came up between the three.

As he jumped away Elizabello called, "I'll save it as you say!" He left the scene as Pica's face came out from the cliff again.

Zoro looked at the stone man and then towards Reecheru. She had once again been forced to leave his side. "That stone jerk," he cursed as he looked back to Pica. "Just what is he up to?" The two of them then began a staring contest.


	26. Tsukuyomi

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-five: Tsukuyomi

Cavendish swung his sword in a graceful arch. Despite the seemingly fragile style of fighting, Doflamingo soldiers were flung in all directions. A short distance away, Gladius was kneeling on the ground. He ignored the shouts of his own men. He didn't even pay attention to the battle until Cavendish called him out. "What exactly do you think I've been doing this whole while?" Gladius asked. He moved his goggles up to cover his eyes more. The ground behind and around Gladius started to bulge. Several large, hill-like bumps started expanding.

It didn't take Cavendish long to realize what was happening. Gladius had used his ability to create a number of bombs with the plateau. The soldiers started freaking out, stunned when Gladius called them elite. None of them noticed Cavendish making a dash out of the immediate vicinity.

Bortolomeo's barrier held steady as he watched the battle with disinterest. He had given himself one job, to protect his Robin-senpai. He was vaguely aware of Merissa in the barrier somewhere behind him. It was just her luck she managed to get within it's protective area before it went up. He wasn't going to go out of his way to protect anyone else besides Robin-senpai.

A sudden banging on the barrier broke Bortolomeo out of his daydream as Robin's slave. Cavendish was using both of his fists to gain attention. "What do you want?" Bortolomeo asked.

"Let me in Bortolomeo," Cavendish yelled. "Those bombs are going to go off at any time now!"

"Not a chance," Bortolomeo dismissed. "If I lower the barrier then Robin-senpai won't have any protection."

"What are you talking about!?" Cavendish grew desperate. Bortolomeo started to ignore him, having no intention of letting down the barrier.

The bombs started going off, kicking up large amounts of debris. It was in the midst of this chaos that Bortolomeo felt it. Something large, and hard, hit him in the back of the head. He looked behind him, wondering who got into his barrier. Merissa stood over him, a metal fan was held in one hand as she tapped the fan part in the other hand. "Just let the fairy in," she snapped. "He's a great distraction for Gladius. He's kept them from noticing Robin climbing to the fourth level so far." Bortolomeo relunctantly agreed and lowered the barrier barely long enough for Cavendish to get in.

As the explosions rocked the third level, Bortolomeo stared at the chaos in false mourning. "If you were outside you would have been killed," he shook his head.

A foot wearing a stylish fashion boot kicked Bortolomeo on the side of the head. Cavendish stood over Bortolomeo. "If you were going to let me inside why didn't you do it in the first place? I could have died!"

Bortolomeo stood up without using his hands. They were still crossed to keep the barrier from collapsing. "What's wrong with you? Is that any way to treat someone that just saved you?"

"I was covering you before that," Cavendish countered. "You have to thank me too!" The two men started a staring contest.

They both found themselves on the ground with Merissa standing over them. "I am sick and tired of your idiotic fight," she snapped. "If I wanted to deal with childish antics I would have stayed home to help train my younger brothers. Now both of you quit fighting and get serious."

Cavendish stood to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. Bortolomeo just rolled to his feet, not caring if was a bit clumsy without his hands. The two men started glaring at each other. Merissa took a step forward, getting ready to hit them once again. Heck, once more might be enough in the case of these two.

"I've had enough," Cavendish growled. "I've gotta keep fighting. Open the barrier and let me out!"

Bortolomeo's eyes bulged at the demand. "What? First I let you in and now you want me to let you back out!? Since you came in, why don't you stay for a while you fool!?"

"What a nice way to make friends," Merissa rolled her eyes.

"This isn't an inn," Cavendish yelled back. "Offense comes after defense! That's how it should be and why you have to let me out!" Bortolomeo lowered the barrier long enough for Cavendish to get out. When he raised it again the arguement continued with Bortolomeo threatening not to let him in and Cavendish arguing that if he was in danger he had to let him in.

"The only thing missing from this is 'because my mom said so'," Merissa said to herself. When Cavendish left, she turned to Bortolomeo. "Are you sure that the two of you aren't long lost brothers or something?"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Bortolomeo stared at Merissa as if she was crazy. He snapped out of it when he remembered what he had been doing. "Robin-senpai!" The two of them looked up. Robin was still running up the cliff, using her ability to create legs to form a set of stairs. She appeared fine, the explosions from earlier not effecting her in the slightest.

As they were looking, lead balls were shot at Robin. They started expanding in mid-air, announcing who exactly had fired them. Bortolomeo extended his barrier and blocked the balls from reaching Robin. They all exploded as they hit the barrier. " _ **I**_ won't let _**you**_ hurt Robin-senpai or get in her way," Bortolomeo laughed.

"That idiot is alive," Gladius noted.

Robin looked back when Bortolomeo encouraged her to go forward. She gave him a wink and continued climbing. Bortolomeo, obviously, started freaking out and over-reacting to the meaning behind the wink. Behind him, Merissa was stuffing pieces of paper, a torn up seal, into her ears. "I need my hearing more than I need a fire seal," was her excuse.

Cavendish charged at Gladius, revealing that he had been behind the barrier when the explosions went off as well. He was in mid-attack, jumping above Gladius' head when the soldiers started shouting again.

Bortolomeo had changed his barrier's shape so that it would push obstacles out of his way. He started running for Cavendish and Gladius. He was fired up from Robin giving him that single wink. A stupid grin on his face and eyes red. "Robin-senpai," he called. "Your wink is worth any man risking his life over! Barrier Bulls!"

Merissa kept pace with him from behind. For one, she was glad that she had ear plugs in from this point on. For another..."Why the hell didn't you do this in the first place!?" She really wanted to hit Bortolomeo at this point. She restrained herself, knowing that she needed the protection as much as Robin did. She didn't want to tap into her reserves of chakra any more then necessary, just in case a lot of healing needed to be done when this was all over. That meant she was somewhat vulnerable. It was only logical that she stay behind the impenetrable barrier.

Cavendish and Gladius started running away. They were so busy concentrating on getting away that they failed to notice they were running side-by-side. Cavendish was yelling at Bortolomeo to stop. However, that was denied as Bortolomeo claimed to be too 'high' to stop at this point. Cavendish yelled at him more, calling him an idiot.

Despite all the yelling, Gladius noticed someone in the distance. Dellinger was watching the entire scene with a look of bored confusion. "Dellinger," he called out to him. "Haven't you cleaned up the second level yet?" From behind him, Merissa turned her head curiously to see who he was looking at. She pulled her earplugs out, wondering what they were talking about.

"Gladius?" Dellinger raised his hand over his eyes to help him see better. "It will be over soon. What are you doing over there?"

"Come and help on the third level," Gladius ordered. "Nico Robin is making her way up to the fourth level. My hands are full with these idiots on this level."

"Oh that is it," Merissa growled. She jumped onto Bortolomeo's shoulders, surprising him for a moment, before jumping to the top of his barrier. She rode along the top as she targeted Gladius. She pulled out one of her last two fire seals and pumped a little chakra into it. "You're not the only one that can make impromptu bombs!" Attaching the seal to a kunai she threw it directly into Gladius' path.

Gladius saw the kunai land in front of him. He wondered at how a supposed fighter could miss that badly. Not wanting to take chances he jumped over it. When he was directly over it a ball of fire exploded directly under him, sending him flying through the air and knocking Cavendish to the side quite a bit. 'So I was missed on purpose,' Gladius thought. Hearing Cavendish roll around on the ground had him focus on the fight again.

"How could you do something so reckless!?" Bortolomeo stopped his charging and was yelling at Merissa. "What if it had hurt Robin-senpai? And how could you have put something so dangerous in front of me?"

"Oh you're alive," Merissa dismissed. "Plus, Robin wasn't within range of the explosion, I didn't give it that much chakra." Both she and Bortolomeo grew silent as something strange drifted on the wind. "Hurry, the barrier."

"Right," Bortolomeo adjusted the barrier so it surrounded the two of them again. "What do you think that it is?"

"I don't know," Merissa admitted. "But I know that it's not good and I don't like it."

Screams of the soldiers had the two of them looking around. A blur would pass a soldier, then that soldier would collapse with a splay of blood. "Gladius!" a voice cut through the screams. "I'm here! Where are you!?" Several more screams followed the call as more soldiers went down. Gladius stayed low, trying to make himself as small a target as he possibly could. "Gladius!"

Gladius took a step back, in the direction of the voice. He never took his eyes off of the area where the blur concentrated it's efforts. "Dellinger," he called out. "Go back down to the lower level and stay there. It's too dangerous here. We have a troublesome enemy to deal with."

The new arrival then started speaking in a high-pitch voice. "What are you talking about?" he had a strange laugh. "No one can trouble us as long as we fight togeth..." The blur past in front of Dellinger, who stiffened and leaned back as if in pain. The blur stopped several feet behind Dellinger. It looked like Cavendish, except not. Blood then sprayed from Dellinger's shoulder.

Dellinger looked at the blood in disbelief. He started shaking and looked behind him. He fearfully asked who the newcomer was. His voice changed from annoyingly high to a seemingly normal teenaged boy's voice. The harder Dellinger stared, the more he came to realize who it was that had attacked him. "You are..." Before he could finish, the Cavendish look-a-like turned into a blur again.

This time the blur continuously surrounded Dellinger for a long while. Blood was flying everywhere as more and more cuts were being made across his body. "Dellinger!" Gladius could only watch on in horror. One of the executives of the family was being killed as if it were such an easy task. The blur stopped in front of the barrier Bortolomeo and Merissa were behind. Dellinger collapsed as many soldiers before had. "Damn," Gladius stared at his fallen comrade. "Dellinger." His voice almost sounded mournful.

"What? What the hell just happened?" Bortolomeo asked. He looked back to Merissa, she only glanced at him before looking back at the figure in front of them. She didn't understand what was happening anymore then he did. She wasn't aware of another fighter from the Colosseum or executives coming to fight on this level. Since she didn't have her Sharingan active she wasn't able to see the figure since he moved to fast. Now that he wasn't moving he was hidden by all the clouds of dust that had been kicked up from his speed.

Bortolomeo looked back, past the barrier. "That shitty brat with the horns," he pointed out. "And all of those other enemy soldiers, he took them all down." The dust cleared and they got a good look at the one that had taken out so many enemy soldiers. Bortolomeo let out a girlish shriek and leaned back. "There's a really scary looking guy out there!" He grew silent and stared. "Who is that guy?"

Merissa hit Bortolomeo on the top of the head, not hard enough to knock him out, but enough to get the point across. "You ninny," she snapped. "How can you not tell who that is?"

"Well," Bortolomeo glanced at her and back out. "It kind of looks like that 'Cabbage' guy, but his face is totally different."

"News flash! It is Cavendish," Merissa snapped. "I don't know how to explain it except that it might be a split personality."

"This is exactly the same," Bortolomeo mused.

"The same as what?" Merissa asked.

"This is the same type of situation that happened back during the D Block match at the Colosseum," he answered. "Is he the one that did it?" His look went from shock to serious. "Those clothes diffinitely belong to Cavendish. But the face looks like somebody-else-ish." He was watching 'Cavendish' look around.

Merissa put a hand to her head and shook it. "How can you talk with such bad grammar at a time like this? It wasn't even that good of a pun." Before she could lecture him further, 'Cavendish' disappeared.

"What?" Bortolomeo asked. He was then shocked to his ass when 'Cavendish' suddenly appeared in front of the barrier and attacked it with his sword. Merissa had even been surprised, but she managed to stay on her feet. At the very least, Bortolomeo still had his fingers crossed. "It scared me," Bortolomeo stated. "It was so fast that I couldn't see what happened!"

"If speed is his strength," Merissa mused. "It's going to drain some more of my chakra, plus the side-effects are a pain, but if it helps us figure out the enemy." Bortolomeo looked at her in confusion. Merissa closed her eyes, ignoring him. When she opened them again they were red with a single black tomoe off to the side on each eye.

"What the hell is that?" Bortolomeo asked.

"It's called the Sharingan," Merissa answered. "In my family it's activated when we're under stress, particularly the life-threatening kind. It'll help me spot the enemy before he knows where he's running to next."

"It sees into the future?"

"Don't be an idiot," Merissa snapped. "It simply allows me to follow my enemy, despite their speed. It can also see slight muscle movement and variations so I can predict how the enemy will attack."

"That is so cool," Bortolomeo gushed. "Can you teach that to me? I want to impress Luffy-senpai!"

"Not even a little bit," Merissa denied. Bortolomeo looked crestfallen, but still paid attention to the 'Cavendish' lurking on the other side of the barrier as it tried to get in. "It's a family technique, passed down through blood and DNA. A Kekkei Genkai is what we call it. A person that isn't born into my family isn't able to learn it."

"What is a Geki Geko?" Bortolomeo asked.

"Kekkei Genkai," Merissa corrected. "I suppose you could translate it into a Bloodline Limit."

Bortolomeo gave up talking to Merissa, since it was clear she wasn't going to teach him. He faced off against the 'Cavendish' on the other side of the barrier. It was looking intently at the barrier, back and forth. It wasn't focused on what was inside, yet. Bortolomeo got right into it's face, barrier between them. "Hey," he started off. "Aren't you 'Cabbage'?" A staring contest started, Bortolomeo waiting for an answer and 'Cavendish' remaining silent.

'Cavendish' disappeared without warning, startling Bortolomeo. It then began to attack the barrier at different points while maintaining it's blur-like speed. Bortolomeo was starting to get dizzy from trying to follow it. He shook his head to clear it. "Why aren't you helping?" Bortolomeo glared at Merissa. He watched as her red eyes shifted all the while, in constant motion. "Are you tracking him?"

"He's a fast little prick," Merissa answered. "But I can still see him, barely. I'll tell you one thing, I wouldn't want to pick a fight with him while he's like this. If I can barely follow his movements like this I'm not sure my reflexes hold the same speed. I wouldn't even tempt the idea of trying without Rae here as my backup."

'Cavendish' stopped in front of them once again. Merissa was focused on him before Bortolomeo could process the attack had stopped. Bortolomeo stared at him before he started laughing. He began bragging about how a sword couldn't cut his barrier as long as his fingers were crossed.

"One of these days," Merissa groaned. "Someone is going to take the information all of you give away so freely and use it against you."

"How would that be possible?" Bortolomeo asked. "They wouldn't be able to get to me to begin with."

"This is only hypothetical," Merissa put up a hand in peace. "Let's say that you and I are enemies." She made a few hand gestures and in her place stood Luffy. Stars immediately bloomed in Bortolomeo's eyes. Just as quickly there stood Robin. In short order, Merissa was standing next to Bortolomeo. "I would gain your trust by using an illusion of the same crew you fangirl over. Once inside, you'd have no problem turning your back on me. I could easily render you unconscious while you looked elsewhere. Then I would take that ability of yours and make it useless."

Bortolomeo decided to play along. "How would you do that without Sea Prism Stone?"

"The only way for you to create barriers is to cross your fingers, right?" Bortolomeo gave a nod in agreement as he wondered where it was going. "While you were still unconscious it's just a simple matter of chopping off your fingers." Bortolomeo suddenly went pale at the thought. "So is it agreed? No more talking about how your ability works to the enemy?" Bortolomeo nodded dumbly.

'Cavendish' didn't give Bortolomeo time to get over his newfound fear of Merissa. It looked up and noticed a hole in the barrier. Bortolomeo noticed it at the same time and quickly closed it off. He was barely in time to keep 'Cavendish' out. He looked at the newly closed hole and then down to 'Cavendish'. "That was close," he sighed. "What do you think you're doing!? What happened to you? If you carry your jokes too far..."

'Cavendish' looked away and up. An even more sinister smile crept across his face. It caused Bortolomeo to get nervous. Merissa looked in the same direction and saw that Robin was still quite exposed to any attack. "Where did you just look?" Bortolomeo asked.

"If you have to ask that then you have a serious problem," Merissa hissed. Bortolomeo didn't respond. He uncrossed his fingers, bringing down the barrier, and dove for 'Cavendish'. This did nothing to desuade the rampaging pirate. Before Bortolomeo could stop him he disappeared as he ran forward. His target was now Nico Robin.

"Robin!" Merissa yelled out a warning. Robin looked to see what was going on. Her eyes narrowed as they followed the advancing pirate. Several arms grew all over his body and trapped his limbs. 'Cavendish' slowed down enough for giant hands to reach out from the cliff and grab onto him like a child holding a small doll.

"I'm so relieved," Bortolomeo gushed. "Not only is Robin safe, but she's beautiful and quick! It was too presumptuous of me to think I could protect her!" Merissa felt an overwelming need to hit him. She resisted as they continued to watch Robin. She wasn't struggling with 'Cavendish', but he was writhing within the grip of her giant hands.

"What in the world happened to him?" Merissa asked. She strained to hear what was being said, but Robin was too far away. She watched as a surprised look came over Robin's face. One of her eyebrows raised when Cavendish's head started turning back and forth. She could hear that he was talking, but not details. For all intents and purposes it looked like he was arguing with himself. Robin just watched him with an impassive look on her face. Her impassive face turned to a surprised look of confusion. No one could make heads or tails of the situation.

When Cavendish started yelling they could hear a little more. He kept saying "I will!" "No I will," over and over.

"It's like he's arguing with himself," Bortolomeo said in shock. "What? Does he have a split personality or something?" The arguing continued until it seemed like one half of his hair was smooth and the other half spiked. "Now he's half-and-half!"

"I am the only Cavendish!" Cavendish yelled.

"You were half-and-half a minute ago," Bortolomeo called to him.

"You just had to get that rub in, didn't you?" Merissa glared at Bortolomeo.

"He's not even listening to me," he whined.

As Merissa lifted her hand to smack Bortolomeo upside the head the ground started to shake. The cliff behind Robin started to swell. Everyone looked to see that Gladius had used the distraction and turned the cliff into a mine. He was intent on not only stopping Robin's advance, but also in killing her. "That bastard!" Bortolomeo yelled.

As Bortolomeo ran towards Gladius, Gladius set off a spot on his head. The hair in the front blew off his head and stabbed Bortolomeo in the knee. Bortolomeo tried to ignore it at first, but his leg started going numb. Gladius revealed that his hair was actually poison needles. That was when Gladius revealed he can turn his entire body into a bomb and started blowing up like a balloon. He bragged about how no matter what action was taken that he would still win.

Merissa ran through her mind all the possible scenerios and weapons that she had. As she was now, there was nothing that could protect Robin. The Sharingan wasn't strong enough to activate anything the Uchiha family was infamous for. She had no seals that would be able to incapacitate Gladius. If Reecheru were here she would use her technique and cancel Gladius' ability. But she wasn't sure where Rae was, or if she could get there in time to help. Bortolomeo was going through a similar mental debate.

Merissa was pulled from her thoughts as Bortolomeo seemed to come to a decision. He stood and charged at Gladius. Merissa was too shocked to stop him, but soon ran after him to stop him. When Bortolomeo was close enough to Gladius he created a barrier around the two of them. "Blow up as much as you like!" Bortolomeo jumped up and started to bring a knife down on Gladius.

Merissa stopped running and watched the scene. From her time with Bortolomeo she knew she wasn't going to get past his barrier. He was sacrificing himself for everyone. Okay, so it was just for Robin but it still benefit the others. The knife stabbed Gladius where the neck should be. Merissa winced when she saw the blood come out. It wasn't that she was put off by the sight, she just knew there wasn't enough of it. Bortolomeo hadn't managed to hit a vital spot. There was still a chance that it could cause Gladius to pass out. It would still have the desired effect of stopping the rupture of the wall.

Through the explosion Bortolomeo managed to keep the barrier up. Once the smoke started clearing, Merissa let out a disappointed sigh. Gladius was still standing. He was back to his normal size and all of his hair was now gone. Blood was dripping down from his shoulder. The wall continued to swell, threatening to rupture at any time.

Merissa ran towards the barrier. "Lower it fangirl!" she yelled. "I'll take care of him!" She held a handful of shuriken in each hand. Gladius turned to the wall and raised his hands. "Stop it!" As the wall exploded, Merissa rushed to dodge. The rocks that were thrown around ranged from really large to microscopic. The larger ones were easy to dodge, but the smaller ones cut into her skin.

When everything settled Merissa looked up using the Sharingan. There was no one where Robin and Cavendish had been. She looked around the third level. The only others there with her were Gladius and Bortolomeo. "ROBIN!" Merissa had already started thinking of Robin as a good friend. She was so easy to get along with.

Merissa clutched a hand to her forehead. Not only had a migraine started, but her eyes felt like they were on fire. She fell to her knees with the pain. She barely managed to lift her head when she heard Bortolomeo cry out in sorrow and then joy. She peeked through her lashes to see that Robin was being carried to the next level by Cavendish. They had jumped above their previous location, that's why Merissa didn't see them at first.

Merissa stood shakily to her feet and walked towards Bortolomeo and Gladius. The barrier was released as Bortolomeo tried to sit up. Gladius was clutching at the stab wound in his shoulder. Bortolomeo stood on his feet, shaking. He stopped when a hand settled on his shoulder. Merissa passed him and said, "I'll take care of this." She walked right up to Gladius. "It was my nakama he attacked after all."

Bortolomeo's jaw dropped at Merissa's announcement. "What? What are you talking about?"

Without looking at him, Merissa smirked towards Bortolomeo. "I'm talking about Luffy," she said quietly. "He forced Reecheru and I to join his crew. Now that I'm used to the idea, I'll take care of the threat to my nakama." She turned her focus back towards Gladius, who was staring at her.

"In a way I have to thank you," Merissa continued. "Your actions have caused something that hasn't happened in my family for generations. Not since the last great war." Her eyes opened to reveal that they were still red. Only this time there were two tomoe instead of just one. "You awakened the next level of my Sharingan."

Gladius stood to take action against Merissa should she make a move against him. The two of them stood facing each other. They were in a dead-lock, neither making the first move. Gladius kept continuous eye contact, expecting her eyes to shift in a way that would reveal her next move.

"You're not too smart, are you?" Merissa's taunt was never retaliated. Gladius stiffened, as if in shock. His body started to tremble uncontrollably until he finally collapsed.

"What just happened?" Bortolomeo asked. He looked at Merissa only to see her stumble and hold a hand to her head. He went up to her and supported her weight. "Are you okay?"

"I think I will be," Merissa answered. She looked up at Bortolomeo, her eyes were their normal bluish-hazel color. "I've never tried that before so I wasn't sure it would work."

Bortolomeo looked down at a twitching Gladius. "I didn't see you do anything," he commented.

"Not out here," Merissa agreed. "I used a technique I've only ever read about. It's called the Tsukiyomi. Basically, I can go into the mind of my opponent. I can speak with them there, learn their secrets if I wish. What could take a person days to accomplish I can do in an instant. Time is relative in the mind. You know the feeling you get when time seems to speed up or slow down? It's a matter of perception."

"Are you saying you went into his mind?" Bortolomeo looked a little creeped out. "But if you were just talking why is he twitching like that?"

"I didn't talk to him," Merissa clarified. "In his point-of-view I just spent three days subjecting him to all manners of torture. He thinks that his body is broken, bleeding and his nervous system is sending him false messages of pain. It will take him a very long time to believe that it didn't actually happen."

"If he's in that much pain," Bortolomeo pointed out. "Then why doesn't he just pass out already?"

"He did," Merissa pointed to Gladius' blank stare. "The messages of pain he's receiving are so strong that his muscles are reacting on their own." Bortolomeo could only stare at the situation in wonder.

"At least Robin-senpai is safe," Bortolomeo looked up. Merissa followed his line of sight to the next level. "It seems like I have a way to go before I'm ready to fight alongside Luffy-senpai. I'll tell you this much, I'll never team up with such a troublesome guy again." It was obvious that he was talking about Cavendish in that last part.

"You can say that again," Merissa nodded.

Bortolomeo snapped to attention as he suddenly realized something. He backed away from Merissa quickly and pointed at her. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU JOINED THE STRAW HATS!?"

"You never asked."


	27. Learn to Fly

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-six: Learn to Fly

Merissa leaned against a large boulder. Her migraine had lessened, but her head was still throbbing. She had just performed a high level techique without the proper training. Of course there would be some reprecussions. Her vision was a touch blurry, but she hoped that would return to normal as soon as the headache left entirely. Bortolomeo was a short distance away, making a lot of noise.

Merissa lifted her head a bit to see what was going on. A couple of Doflamingo soldiers were trying to carry Gladius away on a stretcher. After begging Bortolomeo to show some mercy he let them leave. The soldiers took off like a couple of bullets. Merissa closed her eyes with a huff. "That was probably a horrible idea," she reprimanded.

"You just don't let up do you?" Bortolomeo snapped. "All I ever hear from you is calling me a fangirl or telling me I made a bad choice. Everything turned out all right in the end, didn't it?"

"For now," Merissa agreed tiredly. "But how long will that last? In a battlefield like this one, we can't afford mercy. Considering who our opponent is, what he's done to this country and the fact he's taken this whole country hostage I doubt he'll show a single one of us a shred of mercy."

"That just means we should," Bortolomeo argued. "It proves that we're better than him."

"Don't be so naive," Merissa said. "I know I'm going to regret this. You and Luffy are to much alike in that respect."

"You really think I'm like Luffy-senpai!?" Bortolomeo had stars in his eyes. He started daydreaming about him and Luffy dressing alike, only he didn't have a hat. The two of them were best friends as they sailed the sea in his mind.

"I knew I should have kept my mouth closed," Merissa berated herself. "Damn fangirl."

The staring contest between Zoro and Pica didn't last very long. It was broken by Pica, who started attacking Zoro with stone spikes again. Angered by the constant attack over and over Zoro counterattacked viciously. Pica then turned two of the spikes into giant arms and started punching at Zoro.

"Ripple!" Zoro easily destroyed one of the arms with his sword. Pica tried to punch at him with his remaining arm. The look of anger and frustration on Zoro's face was sending soldiers fleeing for cover. He was angry that Pica wasn't offering much of a challenge to him and frustrated that Pica kept running instead of facing him like a true warrior. "Flash!" Zoro's next attack split Pica's arm down to the 'elbow'. "Tower Climb!"

Zoro's attack caused him to be thrown into the air, higher then Pica's head. "Tower Climb Return!" Zoro sent an attack down towards Pica's face. The face split into three portions. One of the eyes deadened to normal stone while the other focused on Zoro. Meanwhile Zoro landed directly in front of the disformed face. "Two Sword Style, Nigiri!" Shusui and Kitetsu were held in front of Zoro, parallel from each other and the ground. His legs were in a wide stance, ready to push into action at any time. Zoro had a smug smirk on his face as he looked at the damage he caused.

Pica started laughing that ridiculous laugh of his. From the sidelines, Reecheru narrowed her eyes. The energy that Pica was using to maintain his constant attacks on Zoro was starting to shift. It was subtle, almost like Pica was trying to sneak away. "Roronoa Zoro," Pica started to say. "I have something to do now. This is it for our fight!" Pica's face started melting back into the plateau.

"You fool," Zoro insulted. "You can't just do as you like!" Zoro ran towards Pica, but his assault was stopped by spikes blocking his path. If Zoro didn't jump away he would have been impaled by one of them. Zoro sent a glare to the fading face.

"He's running away," Reecheru announced. She came up to stand just behind Zoro. "He's pooling his energy towards the fourth level."

"Isn't that where..." Zoro sent a glare to the top level. "That bastard," he growled lowly. He started to heard for the upper levels.

"Wait Zoro," Reecheru called out. Zoro stopped and looked at her. "Something isn't right here. Besides the movement up to the fourth level, Pica hasn't done anything. He isn't attacking anyone up there. His energy is calm, relatively speaking. It's only concentrating a little on the fourth level." Zoro turned his body so that he was completely facing Reecheru. He walked calmly towards her, waiting to hear what else she had to say.

The ground started shaking violently. The sudden movement caused the two to loose their balance for a moment. Zoro's hand held Reecheru around the waist. He was being careful not to let his sword cut her. Stone spikes started shooting out of the ground at different places along the plateau. "Damn that fool," Zoro growled. "He's supposed to be fighting me." Once Reecheru was stable on her feet once again he released his grip on her. He glared up at the higher levels. "Doesn't he wanna fight!?"

A large boulder was kicked up from a spike that was attacking wounded Doflamingo soldiers. It started falling directly on the two. Zoro split the boulder in half and each piece fell to either side. "Either way," Zoro started to say. "If he wants to fight or not I can't get to him if he moves around the plateau."

"It's a constant escape route for him," Reecheru agreed. "We need to find a way to cut him off from his source of stone."

Zoro put away his swords. "He better be ready to die when he enters my range again."

"Have a plan in mind?" Reecheru looked at him.

"I'll rip his real body from the stone and cut it to pieces."

"How?"

"I'm lucky."

"And how is it, exactly, that you are lucky?" Reecheru put her hands on her hips.

Zoro looked at Reecheru with a satisfied smirk. "I was lucky to get you as my woman." Reecheru blushed, she had no argument for that. The moment was ruined when they heard Pica attacking some distance away from them. The two turned to look in that direction. Without another word they began running in an attempt to catch up.

"What do you see?" Zoro asked.

"His energy is all over the place," Reecheru answered. "He's focusing on attacking the weaker fighters on the plateau. Including their own soldiers."

"You mean they're getting caught in his attacks?" Zoro glanced at her.

"No," Reecheru denied. "I mean he's targeting them too." Zoro tried to push himself to run faster. "He just attacked Hajrudin and those around him. Hajrudin is still unconscious from his own fight. He had no way to defend himself!"

"That jerk," Zoro growled out. "He's attacking and harming the injured!"

The two of them came upon the scene of Pica attacking the members of the Happosui Army. The only one that was capable of defending himself was the new leader, Sai. He was trying to fight back amid the constant attacking spikes.

"That's enough you fool!" Zoro yelled at Pica. "How could you mess with the wounded ones!?"

"Roronoa!" Pica's face appeared next to the two running. They stopped and turned to the face of Pica. "Bite Stone!" His mouth opened wide and the head shot towards Zoro. All Zoro had to do was raise his sword and bring it down to split the head in half. One half crumbled to the ground while the other raised high into the sky.

"Say Roronoa Zoro," Pica said conversationally. It was strange to see half a face talking to the two of them. "Do you know who's on the old King's Plateau?" The head then charged towards Zoro.

Zoro cut that head and sent it crumbling as well. "The king of this country," Zoro answered in anger.

Another head appeared behind Zoro. "Former," it corrected. Zoro instantly cut that head in half as well.

"Be careful," Reecheru whispered. "His energy has completely surrounded us."

Zoro cut a glance to her and then back to the battlefield. "What's your point you jerk?" he demanded.

"Don't the two of you think it's unfair?" Pica squawked from above. The two looked up at him.

Zoro cut that head in half as well. "What's unfair?"

"Invasions happen all across the world," half the face explained. "Why does only Doffy have to take the blame?"

Zoro stared at him for a few seconds before slicing him to pieces. "Cut the crap," he snapped. A stone spike shot out from the ground directly under him. Zoro had to jump out of the way quickly. As he was busy dodging Reecheru made sure that she didn't get surrounded by any of the spikes as well. She managed to dodge a few stone hands that had appeared as well.

"On the King's Plateau," Pica continued as if Zoro didn't want him dead. "There are not only the former senior officials of this country, but also those samauri and God Usopp. I heard the whole nation seeks King Riku's restoration."

"So what!?" Zoro shouted.

"That pisses me off!" Pica yelled. His voice was slightly displaced since Zoro had destroyed all the other faces he used to talk with. "Doffy is the only king. He'll regain control of this country and then start rebuilding his forces. Starting with that woman you're so attached to." Pica's voice faded with the last of his threats.

Zoro was glaring at the area around him. Not only was he angered by the bold declaration of Doflamingo staying in power in this country, but also by declaring that Reecheru was going to take part in it. Reecheru put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to do such a thing," she said. "I have several means of escape at my disposal if I become separated from you and the others. It's a last resort kind of thing, I don't like the idea of revealing how much of a distance I'm capable of after all. A ninja has to keep some of her secrets."

"Once this is over," Zoro said back. "You're going to have to explain to me those secrets. Along with training me to resist pressure points."

"You're not going to give that up, are you?"

"It could come in handy," Zoro smirked. His look returned serious as he looked around some more. "But we won't worry about that right now."

Reecheru also turned her attention to looking around. Her body stiffened and she got Zoro's attention. "We've got a big problem," she said. "That freak moved to the other side of the plateau." She turned to face Zoro head on. "He's back in the form he first used." Zoro turned to look in that direction. The first stone statue started moving once more.

The statue broke away from the plateau as it regained it's missing arm and head. It started growing out of the ground and gained a pair of legs this time. "That jerk," Zoro growled as he started running, swords drawn. Reecheru chased after him.

Once Pica was standing on both of his newly formed feet he looked down on the people on the ground below. "This is Don Quixote's country," he announced. Pica then started to move towards the King's Plateau.

Zoro stared up at Pica as he and Reecheru raced back towards the other side of the plateau level they were on. "Hey," Zoro called in surprise. "Don't tell me..." When the two of them came up to spikes that were sticking out and in their way Zoro didn't bother going around or over them. Instead he sliced through them and kept running without slowing down. Reecheru wasn't surprised by this action. A little exasberating, but not surprising since it was Zoro after all. "Does he plan to kill the king?"

"That's what I'm thinking," Reecheru agreed. "However, I'm also thinking that it goes a bit further than that. He stated that those samauri and God Usopp were with the king. I'm assuming by samauri he means Kin'emon and his friend. God Usopp should go without saying. His plan is to take out all of them, if my guess is correct."

"That jerk," Zoro kept cursing Pica. "That's why he drove us to the other side of the plateau. There's no way that we can catch up to him. We totally got played by a rock. We gotta do something or else. It'll take him just one punch to shatter the King's Plateau. Usopp and the king will be crushed and die in an instant."

"We can't let that happen Zoro," Reecheru pointed out. "Not only for the fact that Usopp is part of the crew and a friend, but this country needs their old ruler back. The one that was fair and ruled with a just hand. The people have suffered enough in one day to last anyone a lifetime."

"Is there any way that we can stop Pica?" Zoro looked deep in thought as he continued to run. "Luffy wouldn't want any more people to be hurt."

"Pirate Hunter!" Zoro looked up to see a group of soldiers standing on a spike that reached above the level. "We won't let you get in the way of Pica-sama's plans or keep that woman from Doflamingo-sama!"

"I have a name you know!" Reecheru snapped.

Zoro didn't acknowledge the soldiers. He jumped up in the midst of raining bullets. He sliced the spike they were standing on into several pieces. When he landed he kept running alongside Reecheru. "How annoying," he complained. "As if I would let anyone take you from me." Reecheru let out a small smile as they kept running.

Merissa and Bortolomeo stood at the edge of level three. "That bastard," Bortolomeo shouted. "How dare he threaten Sniper King!" He turned and looked over at Merissa. "Do that mind trick thing again! Get him to stop!"

"Oh shut up you idiot," Merissa snapped. "First off, I don't take orders from you. Second, Tsukuyomi only works when my opponent looks into my eyes. I don't know if you noticed, but his eyes are not in the back of his head. Lastly, that technique took a lot out of me. I don't know if I could do it right now."

"What are we gonna do?" Bortolomeo cried. "I can't loose Sniper King when I've only just learned his secret identity!"

"You damn fangirl."

"So here's the first plan," Zoro stated. He had a hand to his chin as he ran and thought at the same time. Reecheru glanced to him and then back to the path in front of them. It wouldn't due for her to loose her footing now. "A long-distance slash," Zoro continued. He was silent for a moment. "No, it won't work. It has too far to travel at this point. It won't be as powerful by the time it reaches that stone man."

"The idea has it's merits," Reecheru put in. "I have a long distance attack that might be able to help. Problem is, I can only use it once in a great while. Second problem, it's a slashing technique. It will cut off one or two limbs of his quite effectively, but it won't solve the ultimate problem of him escaping into stone. Not unless I can directly pinpoint his real body's location. The third problem, I can't set up the attack while on the move like this. We don't have the time for me to build it right now."

"Then we pick a new plan," Zoro said. "Plan two, jump up and get on top."

"Can you really jump that far?"

"It's impossible," Zoro monotoned. "So the third plan is to shout out to Usopp and the others to warn them."

"You think they can really hear you from this distance?" Reecheru raised an eyebrow. "Not to mention all the cannon fire being shot at the moving mountain."

"There's no way," Zoro shook his head. "So the fourth plan would be to call Usopp with a transponder snail and tell him to 'hurry and run'."

"That one sounds the more plausible," Reecheru encouraged.

"I forgot that I don't have it." The admission made Reecheru mis-step. Zoro glanced at her as she caught up to him once again. "Even if I could tell him that, there's no time for them to get away."

Bortolomeo started yelling at Pica. "Stop you stone monster! Sniper King-senpai is on that plateau. Come back here and I'll fight you!"

"You really are an idiot," Merissa rolled her eyes. "He following a basic war strategy. If you take off the head of the snake the body will die. In other words, if he kills King Riku then he reasons that we won't have a reason to fight."

"Luffy-senpai will give up the fight?"

"The level of your stupidity is astounding," Merissa rolled her eyes. "Do you really see Luffy quitting a fight when he's come so far already? The only way this battle ends is if Luffy wins or the pink peacock does."

Reecheru and Zoro were coming up to the edge of the plateau. The Colosseum fighters were starting to gather as they watched Pica advance to Riku's location. "That boxing king," Reecheru pointed out. "He's gathering a large amount of power. I think he plans to attack on his own."

"Wait a sec, you king from somewhere!" Zoro yelled out in an attempt to stop the attack from being made.

"'Somewhere'? I am the king of Prodence, Elizabello!" He turned to face Zoro and Reecheru as they came to a stop behind everyone. "Pirate Hunter!" The other fighters turned to see what all the commotion was about.

"I told you before," Zoro went on. "It's no use to just destroy it. He'll keep coming back unless you beat his flesh and blood."

"What should we do then?" Elizabello asked.

"First we need to cut off any escape routes," Reecheru said. She created two clones and both of them concentrated on her outstretched right hand. "I have just the thing to help with that. I'll cut off his legs, removing his connection to the island and isolating Pica within the statue itself. It's kind of a one-time deal though." She turned her attention to Zoro. "Whatever it is you're going to do you better make it worth it." Zoro glanced at Reecheru and then took in all the other fighters that were looking at him for direction. He closed his eyes as he thought.

"It seems like we're out of time," the commodore pointed out. "Pirate Hunter!"

Zoro opened his eyes and smirked. He looked over at Reecheru. "You'll have that thing ready in two minutes?" he asked.

Reecheru glanced at her concentrating clones. "Just barely," she answered.

Zoro stabbed his two swords into the ground and tied his black bandana around his head. He checked on Wado and then picked the other two swords back up. "Hey," Elizabello called out.

"I just need two minutes," Zoro responded. He had an evil grin as he adjusted the sleeve on his dress jacket. "The fifth plan, fly in the sky and chop him up." Zoro's evil grin widened as he looked towards Pica. "Let's do that!"

Bortolomeo cupped his hands around his mouth. "Sniper King-senpai!" he yelled out. "RUN!"

"He can't hear you from this distance moron," Merissa stated. She had yet another strong urge to hit him really hard on the head. Her headache had lessened somewhat so she was able to concentrate on what was going on a bit more, although she wished that she was deaf at the moment. That's when she noticed all the spikes that had been raised and slashed on the level below them. "What the hell?"

Standing next to Reecheru, Elizabello started building up power. He was warming himself up by throwing punches at an invisible opponent. "Pirate Hunter," he called out. "How long are you going to make me wait?"

Reecheru concentrated, blocking outside distractions. The attack she was building up would either help them a great deal, or backfire horribly. It all depended on how well she could maintain the chakra flow. Already she could feel pain shooting up her arm. Rae grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes. The side-effect had already started, but she had to hold on until Zoro was ready to attack.

In the meantime, Zoro was running to the Colosseum fighters that he thought would be able to help him in his goal. He started with the commodore he and Reecheru had run into when they first got off of Pica's statue. "Hey!" he called out. "Director!"

The man in the burgundy captain's coat turned around to look at Zoro. "If you mean commodore, that's me," he said.

Zoro ran up to him and stopped to look up at him. "Whatever," he dismissed. "You threw a person like a bombshell earlier, didn't you?" The commodore looked at Zoro in confusion. Zoro smirked as it looked like his plan was coming together.

Zoro and the commodore walked up and stood in front and slightly to the side of Reecheru and the boxing king. The commodore picked Zoro up by the back of his dress jacket and held him like a bowling ball. He closed his eyes and concentrated on building up his power. This caused the colosseum fighters that weren't involved in the plan to look on in question. "What the hell?" Sai asked. "Pirate Hunter! Orlumbus, what are you doing!?"

Orlumbus held Zoro behind him as he prepared to throw. He looked back and asked Zoro one last time, "You're really sure about this? This technique isn't meant for throwing someone safely."

"Just do it already," Zoro snapped. "We don't have time!" He glanced behind to look at Reecheru. She was mostly being left alone by the fighters so she could concentrate, forehead drenched in sweat. A swirling vortex with a pale blue ring around it was growing larger in her hand. Her two clones continued to pour chakra into it, sweat dripping from their foreheads in concentration as well. Reecheru's right arm started to tremble. Zoro narrowed his eyes and made a note to check on her when this was all over. He faced forward again, ready to fly through the sky.

As Pica raised his hand in preparations of the final blow it caught Zoro's attention. "That bastard," he growled again. Pica's actions had only served to fuel Zoro's determination to bring him down. "He's only going after the ones that aren't willing to fight!"

"You ready?" Orlumbus asked.

"Yeah!"

Orlumbus bent at the waist and held Zoro above his head. The power he built up was starting to release it's energy around them. "Commodore..." Orlumbus started to call out the technique. He was preparing his own war cry in an effort to release more power into the throw. Zoro's lips were pulled back and his teeth bared. It was almost as if he was a feral beast baring it's fangs at an enemy.

Pica's hand started lowering, Baby 5 gasped at the action. Even she knew that signified they were out of time and wouldn't make it. Pica's hand stopped mid-way to it's target. "What happened?" Baby 5 asked. "It's not like Pica to stop an attack."

"It doesn't matter right now," Sai ground out. "What's important is that it bought Pirate Hunter and that woman time." Baby 5 looked at the woman, now that she was brought to her attention. She remembered how Doflamingo had wanted to learn that woman's secrets and bring her into the family. She shuddered as she thought about how he would accomplish it. She knew very well what took place behind the palace walls. She was slowly starting to come to understand the error of her faith in Doflamingo.

Pica raised his hand and started to bring it down again. This time Orlumbus' muscles pulsed with the energy he had. His eyes snapped open as he looked at his target. "Killer Bowling!" He threw Zoro like a bowling ball, as he had done with a minor soldier earlier in the fight.

"RASEN SHURIKEN!" Before Zoro was released from Orlumbus' grip, Reecheru launched her own attack. The noise it generated caused the fighters to cover their ears. It sounded like a buzz saw with all the force of a hurricane.

As Orlumbus let go of Zoro, he took off and away from the plateau at an unprecedented speed. He was able to watch the attack Reecheru threw approach Pica's stone knees just ahead of him. The objective of the plan was to cut off any posibility of Pica escaping through the stone again. Hopefully a simultaneous attack would accomplish that goal. It was proving that Pica wasn't expecting anything stronger than him to attack from behind, he thought he gained enough distance.

Reecheru fell to her knees, left hand grasping her right shoulder. Blood started to seep down her right arm from various cuts all along it's length. Baby 5 ran up to her when she heard the fall. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"That's not important," Reecheru dismissed. "This just has to work." Both she and Baby 5 watched as the two attacks approached Pica. Baby 5 looked back and forth between the wind saw, as she called it, and the flying Pirate Hunter. Reecheru was only focused on Zoro, she had no doubts her attack would hit. She was more concerned on if it would effect him the same it did to her and will no doubt do to Pica.

Zoro started out rolling head over heels. The fighters watched as he twisted his body and pulled himself out of the motion. He was now shooting in a straight line towards Pica. In mid-air Zoro pulled out Wado. He coated his hands in Haki and passed it to his white sword. The blade turned black with the power it received. The same thing happened with Kitetsu. Zoro placed Wado in it's traditional position, in his mouth, and all three of his swords pulsed with the power of Haki he was pouring into them. Zoro put the hilts of Shusui and Kitetsu together at an angle. He then started to spin them, creating his own black vortex.

Merissa and Bortolomeo stood in silence as they watched Pica. Merissa stiffened at the sight that came from the second level, aimed for Pica. The first was a white and blue vortex that sounded like a buzz saw. This caused Bortolomeo to cover his ears. Merissa narrowed her eyes at the sight. "Don't tell me..." The next thing they saw was a black, something, shoot out from the level. "Sharingan!" Merissa stared at the things headed for Pica. "Him I understand," she growled. "But I'm gonna... KILL THAT IDIOT!"

Without warning to Bortolomeo Merissa jumped off the third level, sliding down the cliff and using the spikes as stepping stones on her way down to the second level. "OI!" Bartolomeo called out. "What's going on?" He started following after Merissa. "Wait for me Meri-senpai!"

"You did NOT just fangirl me!"

"Ah! Please stop throwing knives at me!"

The Rasen Shuriken reached Pica first. The attack angled and came at Pica from the side. It first cut off one knee and then the next before Pica could realize it. The legs then started to crumble into dust. "What happened?" Sai asked. "I thought that was just a slashing technique."

"It is," Reecheru agreed. "It has a very nasty side effect though. I suppose it comes out more visibly in objects that are supposed to be inanimate than it does in living flesh."

Before they could ask for an explanation, Zoro reached Pica. He sliced cleanly all the way through Pica's waist. The upper body was thrown upwards while the legs and lower body crumpled to mostly harmless rocks. Pica's arms raised in his shock at the unexpected attacks on his stone body.

"That's a good sign," Reecheru sighed. "The upper body wouldn't be moving if Pica had escaped into the island itself." Though she wanted to keep an eye on Zoro, the Rasen Shuriken drew her attention. It continued on it's path and hit the strings of the bird cage closest to Pica's position. It settled there and started to shrink as it lost momentum. Just before the attack completely dissipated something unexpected happened.

The Rasen Shuriken cut through several of the strings before dying out. Her eyes widened marginally, a spark of hope in them. That hope died quickly when the string on either side of the gap adjusted so there was no space to get through. "How much do you want to bet that Doflamingo is pissed something hurt his precious cage?" she smirked. Baby 5 had also watched the trajectory. Her mouth was open in shock, allowing her cigarette to fall out and hit the ground.

Zoro's own trajectory carried him forward. He 'flew' between both pieces of Pica since he couldn't slow himself down. The portion below him began to crumble away. A hole gave Zoro a glance at the damage Reecheru's attack caused. There was no sign the rocks falling had ever been a pair of legs. Glancing back up, Zoro watched the King's Plateau approaching quickly. He was too busy to notice that all the people that had witnessed his attack were in obvious states of shock. Well, everyone except the members of his crew.

Zoro postitioned himself so that his feet hit the side of the plateau. He immediately pushed himself off and up. He had caught a glimpse of Pica's head moving. This was all the proof he needed that Pica couldn't escape. "Roronoa!" Pica yelled. His cry could be heard all across the city.

Zoro didn't bother with any pleasantries. This executive had ticked him off way past his breaking point. He made an upper slash, cutting the torso right down the middle. The two halves split apart. Zoro took a moment to watch the two halves. "Dead stone," Zoro looked to the left half. He then looked to the right. "Active stones. No matter how many pieces they divide into his main body will definitely be in one of them. It won't be divided up."

Zoro then cut off the arm of the half that was active. Zoro jumped onto falling boulders that split off from his attacks to get closer to the area of the most recent attack. He kept his eyes locked on it, looking for any clues as to where the main body was hiding. He was slightly more focused on the head. The twitching of the right arms fingers immediately drew his attention though.

Zoro adjusted the direction he was going and focused only on the twitching arm. "There's no ground he can get away to in mid-air." Zoro then cut the hand of the arm in half. This separated the fingers from the palm. "Come out Pica!" Zoro watched closely, but the stone stopped moving.

Tired of Pica's hiding tactic, Zoro slashed the remaining arm into six slabs. Pica was bound to be in one of them. "How long are you gonna stay hiding?" Zoro taunted. He landed on another slab that was falling from the main body. He glanced over all the slabs from the arm, trying to pinpoint which one Pica hid in.

A pained, high-pitched, grunt reached Zoro's ears. "By cornering me," Pica's voice squeaked out. The second slab on the right started to ripple. Zoro narrowed his eyes on it and watched as Pica's real body slowly came out. "You think you already won!?" Pica's head had just popped out of the stone and glared down at Zoro. He fully came out of the slab and glared down in hatred. "You think you can beat me if you can cut those stones, don't you!? I won't get cut when I'm clad in Haki!" Pica's entire body became black as he coated himself with armament Haki.

"Haki, huh?" Zoro didn't seem too concerned. Through the whole battle, Zoro had been unimpressed with Pica's fighting ability. He was weak and all he seemed to do was run. His only strength had been his seemingly unending supply of stone that he could escape into.

"If I knock you off from here you'll lose!" Pica stood in a fighting stance, confident that he could take down Zoro.

Zoro's response was to smirk at Pica from around Wado's hilt. "Only if your Haki is stronger than mine," Zoro lectured.

Pica seemed to be insulted by this. "Of course mine is stronger! You're no match for me!"

Zoro let out a low chuckle as he noticed that Pica's eyes were slightly trembling in fear. He stood fast, unwavering in his stance against the black figure of Pica. He was confident of his abilities. Pica wasn't so confident as he faced off against Zoro. "Do you know what they call people like you?" Zoro asked conversationally. He took on the same stance as he had when he first met Mihawk, only this time he was kneeling to maintain his balance. Haki radiated from his three swords.

Instead of giving Pica the answer to his question, Zoro began his attack. "I don't have time to stumble over you here," he said.

"Cut the crap," Pica snarled at him. He then charged at Zoro. He didn't hesitate and leapt to meet Pica's charge. Pica put both of his hands together above his head. He prepared to bring them down on top of Zoro.

Swords spinning around him, Zoro approached Pica calmly. "There's nothing that I can't cut," he spoke.

"Go to hell!" Pica yelled in rage. "Roronoa Zoro!"

"Three Thousand Worlds!" Zoro yelled his attack. He rushed passed Pica and looked back. Blood spurted from Pica's chest and mouth. "Stop causing innocent people trouble."

Though he was following Merissa, Bortolomeo managed to watch the fight. "Zoro-senpai!" he cheered.

"SHUT UP OR GO AWAY! I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO FOLLOW ME!" Merissa yelled over her shoulder.

Usopp was cheering Zoro on as he cried in happiness. While he was still in the air, Zoro sheathed his swords Shusui and Kitetsu. The people of the city, fighters and officials were in open shock that someone could take down Pica so easily.

Elizabello slightly relaxed in his state from shock. "Pirate Hunter saved my friend, King Riku," he stated in awe.

"That sort of thing happens," Reecheru shrugged her left shoulder. "Especially to cowards that don't know their own strength. He thought he was strong only because he kept targetting those that were obviously weaker than him." She was pleased to see that Zoro was in good condition. The residual energy of her attack didn't reach and injure him.

"What do you mean?" Baby 5 asked. "Pica is one of the top executives."

"Have you ever seen him attack someone that could face him in a one on one match like Zoro?" Reecheru asked. "He grew too confident, quit challenging himself and allowed his power to grow stagnant. A true warrior is constantly pushing themselves to the limit. Finding their breaking point and pushing past it to the next breaking point."

"Is that how you explain your arm?" Sai asked. He too had noticed a pool of blood was starting to gather. "What happened to you exactly? I didn't see you get attacked."

Reecheru opened her mouth to answer when Zoro's shout reached them. "Your turn!" He had moved and clung onto the side of the King's Plateau. Now that a giant stone man wasn't rampaging voices could carry further.

Elizabello finished building his technique and threw it towards the falling rubble. "King Punch!" The yellow and blue attack hit the falling stones head on. Not only did it break the cut stone body parts into smaller pieces, but it also pushed it up and over the King's Plateau so that no one was hurt. "That brat," Elizabello panted out. "He used my king punch to clean up his mess. How rude! He'll regret this!" He raised an arm and started shaking it at Zoro. Orlumbus started laughing jovially at the affronted man.

Zoro stared across the city. Reecheru did the same. The two of them seemed to make eye contact even from this distance. Zoro pulled Wado out of his mouth with his free hand and smiled. "Good work," he said. He also had a predatory glint in his eye.

With her Byakugan still active, it was hard for Reecheru to miss the look. She blushed a deep shade of red as she allowed her eyes to return to normal. "What's the matter?" Baby 5 asked. "Are you catching a fever?" She glanced between Reecheru and the distant Zoro. Understanding spread across her features. "Oh I see!" she cheered. She took hold of Reecheru's uninjured hand. "I have a wonderful idea! Let's have a double wedding!"

"EH!?"


	28. Shrinking Cage

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-seven: Shrinking Cage

Zoro looked down and smiled fondly at Wado. It was still coated in black Haki. Zoro clung to the plateau wall with his right hand as his left still had hold of Wado. He shifted Wado as he looked at one side of the blade and then the other. "No nicks on the edge," he said. The Haki then dissolved from the sword, revealing the silver of the blade and the white hilt once more. Zoro let out a pleased laugh, obviously satisfied with how strong he had gotten through training.

Zoro sheathed his sword and then began to climp up the wall. He could hear Usopp calling out to him. He was asking if he was alright. Zoro reached a slightly level area where he could relax his hold for a moment. "Of course I am," he laughed. He pulled his bandana from his head and put it in his pocket once more.

The fighters in the colosseum were still staring at the rubble that was once a giant, moving statue of Pica. "He's that strong and he didn't enter the compitition," Sai pointed out. "What a humble guy."

Reecheru started laughing at that. "I think you're reading too much into it," she finally said. "One of two things happened that made Zoro miss entering. This first, and most likely, is that he got lost on his way to the colosseum. The second is that he didn't know about it in the first place."

"I thought that he was your man," Baby 5 looked confused. "Why would you say something like that about him?"

"I don't sugar-coat things," Reecheru shook her head. "He has his flaws as I have mine. A perfect couple would just be too boring!"

"He's good," Orlumbus complimented.

"We managed to save King Riku so I'll let it go this time but..." Elizabello blew a hot breath out as he tried to reign in his temper from his technique being used as a clean-up method.

Merissa grit her teeth in frustration. Bortolomeo was behind her and crying. He was so happy that Zoro had succeeded in the attack. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why he was so happy about someone else's accomplishments. He was acting almost as if they were his own. She tried to tune him out, so far unsuccessfully. They were coming up on the place that Zoro had been launched from.

Baby 5 kneeled next to Reecheru. "Let's get that arm patched up," she smiled.

"It won't make much difference," Reecheru stood up and walked away from her. "If I don't get to my friend soon then I'll lose my arm."

"WHAT!?"

"What did she just say?" Sai asked.

"How is that possible?" Orlumbus looked shocked.

"It's the attack I threw earlier," Reecheru explained. "I already said that it's a slashing technique. It does, however, have a nasty little side-effect. It cuts and destroys the cells that are close to the initial cut, up to a certain distance. It all depends on how powerful the attack is and how long it stayed in contact with the targets tissue."

"Is that why the legs crumbled like they did?" Elizabello asked. "Is it because that attack cut all the cells of the rocks?"

"Not all of them," Reecheru shook her head. "I doubt that it even cut through a majority of the rock cells. But it did cut enough for them to become structurally unsound."

"That means it did the same to your arm," Orlumbus pointed out. The group that was gathered turned their gazes to Reecheru's still bleeding arm. "It was in contact with your arm the longest. So it cut every cell in your arm?"

"All the way up to the shoulder," Reecheru agreed. She placed her left hand on her right shoulder as she started walking away. "I really don't have the time to talk though. If I want to save my arm, let alone retain feeling and use in it, I have to find my friend. She'll know what to do."

"Why would you take such a huge risk!?" Sai demanded.

"BECAUSE SHE'S AS STUPID AS A BOX OF ROCKS!"

Reecheru stopped in her tracks, put an innocent smile on and closed her eyes. "Oh hi Mer, fancy meeting you here."

"Fancy my ass!" Merissa was approaching fast, jumping over cut spikes and fallen boulders as she went. "Your ass is lucky I saw that stupid stunt." Behind her, Bortolomeo was crawling and falling over the same spikes.

Merissa stopped directly in front of Reecheru. "I have half a mind not to help you save that arm," she growled. "But since I know what the Hokage will do if I don't..."

"Nevermind my brother."

Merissa involuntarily shuddered at the mention. "I'll fix the arm up, but you better believe I'll be expecting some sort of payback for this." As Reecheru sat back on the ground, Merissa followed her down. She knelt next to Reecheru's right side. Merissa's mark on her forehead expanded as she drew upon her stored chakra. Her hands glowed blue as they hovered above the seemingly shredded arm.

"What exactly are you doing?" Baby 5 asked.

"I'm beginning field surgery," Merissa said in a distracted voice.

Knowing that it was bad for her to become too distracted Reecheru picked up the conversation. "She's stitching the blood vessels in my arm back together first," she explained. "It's best if she does this now while I still have no feeling in my arm. The next part she'll work on is healing the nerves. Yes, those were cut as well. Hurt like a bitch when it happened and it'll hurt once they've been worked on. The third step is to work on the muscle tissue and tendons. The last thing to work on will be the actual lacerations. The blood vessels are first because we want to stop the bleeding."

"You're lucky that the main blood vessel in your arm remained intact," Merissa lectured. "The wall is bruised and slightly damaged, but it's not bleeding. Otherwise you would have been dead within two minutes from blood loss."

"How long is this going to take?" Elizabello asked. "I would hate to be around when Pirate Hunter finds out she's this injured."

Merissa stopped the healing process, sweat on her brow. "Unless I have a soldier pill, it'll take a few days."

"I'll find a soldier pill for you," Baby 5 volunteered. "You need it, right? Reecheru needs to be healed."

"It's not that simple," Merissa shook her head. She cleaned the cuts on Reecheru's arm and then pulled a scroll from her back pocket. She activated it and a metal box with a large red cross on top appeared. Merissa opened the box and pulled out an bottle of solution. She aimed the bottle at Reecheru's arm. In response, Reecheru tensed and looked away. As she was doing this she continued her explanation. "A soldier pill is something that's manufactured by our village and it's surrounding allies. You won't find it anywhere controlled by this World Government, they lack the knowledge. Not to mention that it wouldn't be much help to them at all. They might stay awake and feel more energetic, but I doubt they'll know the specific use for them. On top of that, the come down is a bitch. Yes the pill restores your energy, but when it runs through your system you crash almost as if you over-dosed on some sort of narcotic. Migraines, dizzy spells and fainting are a few symptoms. That's why the use of soldier pills is strictly regulated. Only certain medics carry a ready supply and only the Hokage chooses which medics are the ones in control of the supply."

The spray hit the largest laceration on Reecheru's arm, but nothing else happened."I forgot," Reecheru relaxed and laughed sheepishly. "I don't have feeling enough to feel that stuff sting."

Merissa rolled her eyes and put the anti-infectant away. She then put some sort of poultice on the cuts before finally bandaging them. The last thing that was added was a sling to hold Reecheru's arm in place so that the new tissue that kept the blood vessels closed wouldn't rip or tear in any sudden movements.

"I'll be able to work more on it when I've gotten a good night's sleep," Merissa announced. "Right now the blood is flowing again. That means you at least won't lose your arm. When the nerves are fixed we'll see how your reflexes held up."

"Why is it going to take so long?" Baby 5 cried. "Didn't you eat a devil fruit or something?"

"Never have and never will," Merissa dismissed. She was putting away her medical supplies. "It's a pain in the ass. To have such a lame weakness as water? Nothing is worth that kind of aggravation."

"I finally caught up to you Meri-senpai," Bortolomeo panted. He had his hands on his knees and was breathing hard. "Why did you run off like that?"

"I had to get to my friend," Merissa growled. She approached Bortolomeo and hit him over the head. "And what did I say about fangirling me!? I'm about ready to knock you into next week!"

"Hey Mer, who's this exactly?" Reecheru asked. "I saw him traveling with Robin and some skimpy dressed girl earlier."

"That girl is the grand-daughter of King Riku," Merissa announced. The fighters all let out various noises of shock. "As for this wierdo, he's a big fan of our new captain and his crew."

"'Our'?" Bortolomeo blinked up from where he was kissing dirt. "As in you and..." He started looking at all of the people in the area. He then focused his gaze on Reecheru and how Merissa had been addressing her as a friend. She hadn't really been giving any of the others the time of day. "You're part of the Straw Hats too?" he asked hesitantly.

"She's the one that agreed on both of our behaves," Merissa smirked evilly. Reecheru looked at her suspiciously. "She was the one that Luffy invited onto the crew first. And from the look of things, she's got a thing going on with Pirate Hunter Zoro."

Bortolomeo leapt to his feet, stars shining around his head and in his eyes. Reecheru leaned away from him and looked up to Merissa. "What exactly is wrong with him?" she asked.

"He's a fangirl," Merissa smirked. "Now you get to deal with him."

Bortolomeo started skipping around and proclaiming how he was overjoyed to witness the budding romance between a new member of the Straw Hats and one of the veteran members of the crew. Reecheru leaned in closer to Merissa. "I'm not sure he has both oars in the water." Merissa busted out laughing, unable to stop herself.

Zoro was slowly making his way to the top of the plateau. Usopp kept calling out to him, still asking if he was alright. Frustrated with all the worrying, Zoro finally yelled out, "Yeah, I'm okay! I didn't even get a scratch!"

Zoro finally reached the top of the plateau. He put a hand on the edge and pulled himself up. His head and shoulders had barely made it into the view when he was met with loud applause. His face remained stoic as he took in all the smiling and cheering faces. He pulled himself up and stood on the stone rail. He stared at all the people blankly as he worked to catch his breath. He jumped down to the dirt where Usopp, Kin'emon and Kanjuro were standing.

Usopp was a mess of tears as he became over-run with emotions. He then glomped Zoro and started crying. "Zoro!" he yelled out. "I thought that it was all over!" His arms wrapped around Zoro's shoulders. Zoro's mouth opened in shock and he took a step back to steady himself with the extra weight of his nakama. Kin'emon then started a round of congratulations on winning. The citizens started another round of cheering, this time adding words of gratitude into the mix.

A scowl spread across Zoro's face as he pushed Usopp away. "Wait a sec you guys!" he yelled. This caused the crowd to grow quiet and listen to him. "You better wait to get excited until that suffocating cage disappears." His lecture caused the citizens to deflate in their stance. Zoro looked up and stared at it. "It's still there which means that the key man hasn't been taken down yet," he reasoned.

"Say Zoro," Usopp broke the silence. "We saw a strange attack hit Pica just before you did. It went right through his stone legs like a knife through water. Was that one of your new sword attacks?"

"Not one of mine," Zoro looked down to him. "It was Reecheru's doing."

"Isn't she the one that Doflamingo put the highest bounty on?" Tank asked.

Zoro nodded his head once. "She sent her attack ahead to make sure Pica's only way of escape was cut off, literally." He let out a smirk as he thought of the pun he just made. "She's back at the palace plateau. The warriors of the colosseum are with her, so there isn't a problem with the enemy."

"Just what was that attack?" Viola asked. "Is it possible for her to do more?" Zoro turned to her, not answering. He was obviously waiting for her to explain the reason for her question. "For a few seconds she cut through the cage. After her attack passed through Pica it kept going. It hit the birdcage and stayed there, like it was trying to cut through. Her attack disappeared and I didn't think much more of it. Until, that is, several of the strings from the cage fell." Several shocked whispers spread through the plateau. "If she can do that again it could give the civilians a chance to escape."

"Viola-sama," one citizen whispered. "Always worrying about us and not yourself." The people then started to get excited.

"It's impossible," Zoro cut them off. "She wouldn't explain the reason why, but Reecheru said she can only do that attack once in a great while. Perhaps she won't be able to use it again until tomorrow or next week. Either way, this battle will be long over before she has a chance to use it again." The citizens then grew quiet once again.

King Riku turned and headed for the makeshift ladder. "The citizens in the city still need help," he explained. "Let's concentrate on what we can control for now." All of the citizens started following him down.

Zoro glanced back to the palace plateau. "Is something wrong Zoro-dono?" Kin'emon asked. "You seem to be a bit distracted."

"I have to get back there," Zoro answered.

Reecheru's ears twitched a little and she looked up. Merissa noticed the action and looked at her. "What's up?" she asked.

"Something's not right," Reecheru whispered. As if to emphasize her point, explosions started to wrack the ruined city below. Reecheru activated her Byakugan. "There's something going on with that stupid cage," she announced. "The energy levels in each string is fluctuating sporadically."

Merissa knew she was going to get a headache from this, again, but she needed to 'see' what was going on with the cage. Her sharingan active, she took a good look. Once she learned exactly what was going on her eyes went back to normal. "This is pretty bad," she announced. Merissa had the attention of all the colosseum fighters. "It looks like the pink peacock has no intentions of loosing this 'game' of his. He's started to shrink the cage and it's cutting everything in it's path." The fighters stiffened in shock and Bortolomeo's mouth dropped open. Reecheru stood to her feet and started walking away. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Merissa demanded.

"There has to be something we can do," Reecheru answered. "And we're not going to be able to do it standing around here with our thumbs up our asses."

"Bortolomeo!" A voice shouted out across the plateau. "Where are you!?"

"Who was that?" Baby 5 asked.

Bortolomeo stuck a finger in his ear. "No one important," he answered. "Just some stupid cabbage."

"Rooster-kun! I need your help!"

Bortolomeo's head whipped around to face the third plateau. "Robin-senpai has finally decided to let me be her slave!" he cheered.

"You better hurry," Merissa smirked. "We wouldn't want to keep you from fulfilling your role as a stepping stool."

Bortolomeo rushed back the way he came. "I'm coming Robin-senpai! I'll be right there!"

"What was all that?" Reecheru asked.

"Fangirling," Merissa smirked. "Honestly, I would have thought that you, of all people, would have been able to tell at least that much."

"Ah, now I understand." Reecheru nodded her head as she continued to head for the lower levels. "You'll have to excuse the slow reaction time. I did lose a lot of blood, just so you know."

"You wouldn't have lost that blood if you didn't use that technique," Merissa snapped. "You know that not just any ninja can use it. In fact, there's only recorded history of just one ninja ever mastering it. He only mastered it once he became a sage."

"You don't have to recount the history of my ancestor," Reecheru rolled her eyes. "I'm well aware of his story."

"Aparently I do need to remind you," Merissa snapped. "You wouldn't have used that technique if you remembered it could have killed you!"

"I thought that it only effected the area closest to it," Elizabello said. He was following the two ninjas. It was his hope that he could still have something to offer in helping King Riku return to the throne.

"I did say the longer tissue was exposed the more damage it took," Reecheru reminded.

"In other words," Merissa pointed to Reecheru's shoulder. "If she had released it when it was only half formed then the worst damage would have only been up to her elbow. But seeing as the damage is extended to her shoulder I'm able to determine that if she had held it another minute the damage would have reached her heart. FYI: No amount of skill I possess could save her at that point."

The colosseum fighters fell silent at this new information. "Did you really need to tell them that?" Reecheru asked. "It's not like I would have held onto it long enough to actually kill myself. You need to give me a little more credit than that."

"After that stunt, I give you no credit." Behind the two, Sai shared a look with Orlumbus. In silent agreement, they made sure to tell Pirate Hunter so that he would make sure his woman wouldn't put herself in that sort of danger again.

"All that ruckus down there," Elizabello murmered. "It's all because the bird cage is shrinking?"

"This is it's true terror," Baby 5 informed. "Doflamingo intends to not let a single person from this country out of here alive."

"We need to get the collapsed fighters on their feet," Sai planned. "We ain't just gonna sit here and wait for death to come to us."

"That's a wonderful plan honey!" Baby 5 gushed.

Zoro pushed on the shoulders of Kin'emon and Kanjuro. "Let's go you two," he ordered. "We have to find a way to stop that thing." The three of them rushed down the plateau and into the city.

"Zoro-dono," Kin'emon called out. "Just where are we going?"

"I already told you," Zoro said over his shoulder. "We're gonna stop that thing."

"WHAAA!? Just the three of us?"

After a while of running Kanjuro finally suggested drawing them a ride to get through the town more quickly. A fierce glare from Zoro sent the samauri into action. A badly drawn bird was quickly brought to life. The three of them got on and it started running down the ruined streets.

It wasn't long before they got close the the S.M.I.L.E. factory. Franky called out to them in that moment. "If you're trying to run," he yelled. "You're going the wrong way! The center of town is in the other direction."

"Franky," Zoro yelled back. "We're off to stop those threads! We might be able to buy everyone some more time!"

The Tontattas that were with Franky all had stars in their eyes. "He's such a bad ass," they cheered.

Wicka put her hands to her cheeks and blushed. "Oh I hope he makes a move on her soon," she gushed. "It would be a shame if the two of them didn't get together." The others looked at her in confusion.

Merissa was working on patching some of the injuries of Hajrudin. With her chakra depleted she couldn't do much for his internal injuries and broken bones. "I'm glad that you're all safe," Robin's voice broke her concentration. She looked up to see her and Rebecca approaching with a one legged man and the fangirl. Some of the little people were with her as well.

"I can help," a small voice said. Merissa looked to see it was one of the people from Green Bit that was addressing her. "My name is Princess Mansherry. I can help you heal them."

"Be my guest," Merissa let out a sigh. She sent a glare Reecheru's way. "That one took all my energy just so she wouldn't lose her life or her arm." The new arrivals looked to see Reecheru arguing with Elizabello about getting off the plateau. She wanted to go down and help the others. Elizabello argued that she was in no condition to go alone and the others were busy trying to wake their fallen comrades.

"I'll see about healing her when the more severe injuries have been dealt with," Mansherry said.

"Oh don't bother," Merissa smirked. "She got herself into the situation, she can let her arm heal at a normal pace after I make sure it didn't suffer more damage than what we can see."

"How did Rae-land get hurt so badly?" Leo asked.

"She was being an idiot."

"It wouldn't have something to do with that strange attack that helped Zoro defeat Pica, would it?" Robin asked.

"Hit the nail on the head," Merissa nodded. "The idiot used an attack that doesn't know friend from foe, basically."

"I didn't know it was alive," Bortolomeo looked impressed.

"Don't be an idiot," Merissa glared at him. "It obviously can't have a mind of it's own. It was just a figure of speech. That attack did nearly as much damage to Reecheru's arm as it did to Pica's legs." A look of shocked understanding crossed Robin's face. "She knew full well what it would do, but used it anyway. The only way that attack wouldn't hurt her would be if she was Sanin level nin, or a sage if you will. Since the scrolls for that have been lost then it's next to impossible."

"Training won't make you become a sage?" Bortolomeo asked. "Training helps with everything."

"Not in this instance," Merissa shook her head. "To become a Sanin you must enter into a contract with legendary creatures. Those contracts, or scrolls, have been lost. I just told you that, you stupid fangirl."

Reecheru turned away from Elizabello. The battle between Luffy and Doflamingo had moved into the city. Luffy looked a lot different for some odd reason. She didn't have time to argue with these guys at the moment. "My chakra hasn't been depleted," she mused to herself. As she was about to start down the plateau wall when a form jumped from the palace the moment Luffy's form returned to normal and he collapsed. The form started sprouting nonsense about killing Luffy and taking his fruit.

"Like hell you will," Reecheru growled. Without waiting to give the others some form of acknowledgement, she jumped after him. Only being able to use one arm wasn't going to stop her. She had other methods of attack that she could rely on.

"Time to meet your maker Straw Hat!" Burgess intercepted Luffy while he was receiving help from the colosseum fighters that hadn't helped fight against Doflamingo yet.

Reecheru had just landed on the ground. As she stood her muscles tensed in preparation for a fight. A hand on her shoulder stopped her short. Her head whipped around to look behind her. Sabo's hat cast a shadow over his eyes. He calmly walked past her. "I've got this one," he said. "You see what you can do about helping the others." He turned and looked at her then. "I'm assuming by the patch job Merissa knows what you did. I'm sure you already received a lecture from her as well. However, when this is over you and I are going to have a little chat."

"What's with everyone and giving me a lecture?" Reecheru demanded. "It worked out alright in the end." She glanced around at the still present bird cage. "Sort of." Reecheru then heard her name being called. Merissa was running her way with the fighters that had been helping them. "Just my luck, more mother henning." She took off running down the street before they could catch up.

Zoro coated his Kitetsu and Shusui in Haki. He crossed them in front of himself and used them to fend of the bird cage. "What are you doing Zoro-dono?" Kin'emon asked. "Don't be insane!"

"This cage isn't something that can be stopped by just pushing on it," Zoro explained.

"How do you know that?" Kanjuro asked.

"If you two have to be complaining about how impossible something is then shut your gums and give me a hand," Zoro snapped. "You two historical relics! At the end of the day this is just the work of one man. In my view, thinking it can't be stopped is what's impossible." Kanjuro and Kin'emon looked shocked and insulted at getting a lecture from someone they viewed as a child with far less experience then themselves.

A white and lavender blur past them. Zoro looked over his shoulder when he felt something pushing against his back. Reecheru had her left shoulder braced in the middle of his back and was using her legs to help push against the strings. "I don't know how to coat my kunai with Haki," she explained. "I want to help though. This is the only way that I can without getting cut."

Zoro smirked and faced forward again. "Who said that I minded you pushing yourself against me?"

 **Thanks to RedHairedOctavia, supermeg12, Tsukino Aisuru-A and PuddyKatz for the awesome reviews. I really enjoy reading them and sometimes find inspiration and ideas when I do. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**


	29. Home Stretch

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-eight: Home Stretch

Merissa growled low in her throat. Watching Reecheru take off like that was rather irritating. "If she wants to aggravate her injuries then let her," Merissa said. She was looking at Baby 5, who had made a move to catch up. Merissa pointed further down the street. A group of citizens was trying to outrun the cage by climbing up the plateau. They were being stopped by a group of Doflamingo soldiers. "We should help those people first. They're not as strong, plus Reecheru isn't a child. She can handle herself if worse comes to worse."

The group of colosseum fighters moved towards the newest commotion. One of the soldiers was bragging about how no one was good enough to be saved and that they were all on death row as commanded by Doflamingo. His posturing didn't last long, however. The people below were shocked when the man fell forward with eyes bulging. He had been hit on the top of the head. As he fell, the people looked up to see Bortolomeo had taken his place. "You're in the friggin way stragglers," he yelled. The people cheered for the colosseum fighters making an entrance.

A few of the fighters were confused about the new turn of events. They thought that their injuries were too extensive for them to be moving around like they were. The people started cheering for the people they were now perceiving as heroes. "Oi!" Sai called out to them. "Save all the cheers for later. Those men among you with even a small amount of strength left, follow me!" Baby 5 stood just behind him, admiring his 'take charge' attitude. It was then that the people started to notice that the cage had started to shrink even faster.

"All of you!" Zoro yelled out. "PUSH!" Reecheru pushed against his back as hard as she could. She was careful not to dig her elbow into his spine. This meant that a majority of her left arm, if not all of it, was pushing on him. That brought her face to a close and personal view of the expanse of that same back. Every time she took a breath she was filled with the scent of Zoro. Underneath the sweat and dust from the recent fights was the scent of steel and a musk that was distinctly male. It was powerful and heady, forcing Reecheru to do her best to ignore it. She had to concentrate on putting the last of her strength in buying Luffy time.

Kin'emon and Kanjuro had joined in on either side of Zoro. They had coated their weapons in Haki as well. "It might be better," Zoro said towards Reecheru. "If you got in front and helped push on the swords instead of my back."

"It might if I could actually use both hands."

Zoro moved one elbow up and motioned for Reecheru in front of him anyway. She helped by pushing Zoro's left wrist. It was the best that she could manage at this point. His eye zeroed in on the sling that her right arm was in. "How did that happen?" he asked.

Reecheru blinked up at him, surprised by the sudden change in subject. "Oh I'll tell you all about it!" Reecheru shifted her eyes nervously to the side, looking for the person that had just spoken. Sure enough, there was Merissa right next to Zoro on his right. Kin'emon was glaring at her, as if she offended him. Reecheru had the distinct feeling that Merissa pushed him out of the way. As Merissa was grinning at them sinisterly she was also pushing on the cage with some sort of blue block.

"I hardly think this is the time," Reecheru dodged. "Less talking and more pushing!"

"I can multi-task," Merissa's grin grew. Her eyes then shifted to look at Zoro who was looking to her for an explanation. "You remember the attack that Reecheru used to help you cut off Pica's legs?" She gestured with her head to Reecheru. She waited for Zoro to nod at her. "That's what happened."

Zoro looked down at Reecheru. "That attack hurt your arm?"

"Yes," Reecheru quickly responded. "It's not a big deal right now though. We need to concentrate on the cage."

"Oh no you don't," Merissa snapped. "This isn't going to be so easily dismissed." She sent a heated glare to Reecheru. In a much more calmer expression she turned to Zoro. He was looking to her for the explanation now since it was obvious that Reecheru wasn't going to go into detail. "That attack cut the cells in Reecheru's arm. The longer she held it the more damage it did. If she held on to it too long it would have reached many vital organs and I wouldn't have been able to help her. As it stands, we still don't know if I was able to save her arm enough for her to be able to use it in the future."

Zoro's head whipped down to glare at Reecheru so fast that she was almost sure it would come flying off. "Why didn't you say anything about it!?" he demanded.

"It wasn't strictly necessary," Reecheru dodged. "That particular attack has been mastered before. It's just a matter of me learning to master it as well. I can't do that unless I use the attack."

"Don't try to sugar coat it!" Merissa snapped. "It was a stupid move."

"It stopped Pica from getting away!" Reecheru snapped. "He would have continued his rampage if something wasn't done. Maybe Zoro could have stopped him from escaping into the ground, or maybe my attack was the extra advantage that was needed in ensuring victory. We'll never know at this point. The one thing that I do know is that one arm is a small price to pay for the lives of others!"

Merissa stopped giving a lecture to Reecheru. When lecturing Reecheru, she usually let it slide when she's in the wrong. Though she does have a breaking point and will allow you to lecture her only so much. The only people that can get away with lecturing her without her snapping back is the Hokage and her parents. Although Reecheru's parents have been on the receiving end of their own lecture from her now that she's an adult. Merissa scoffed and faced the cage again. "Whatever," she said. "It's not my job to keep you in line anymore." Merissa gave Zoro a grin and wink. "It's his."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Reecheru muttered under her breath. She then looked at the block that Merissa was using. She noted that the cage wasn't damaging it. "What is that and where did you get it?"

"Franky and the Tontattas pointed it out to me," Merissa answered. "When I made it clear that I was going to come and help close to you I was told this would help. It's a block made out of sea prism stone, the only material that devil fruit users are useless against. It came loose from the factory building from all the explosions and from the cage pushing so relentlessly on it. It was just luck that it was still close by."

"That's enough talking," Zoro cut in. "We'll worry about all of this later. Right now... PUUUUUUUUUSH!"

"I think that the constriction is starting to slow down a bit," Kin'emon pointed out.

"Forsooth!" Kanjuro declared. Reecheru and Merissa looked at one another. Reecheru mouthed the word as a question. Merissa mouthed the word 'later'. "Now that you mention it I believe that I can feel something similar."

The clicking of traditional sandals drew the attention of the small group. Zoro was the first to recognize the one approaching. It was the Marine Admiral Fujitora. "You!" he snapped out. "What are you here to..."

"Oh my my," Fujitora interrupted. "Unfortunately I cannot see you, whoever you may be. But..." Fujitora coated his own sword and pushed against the cage as well. "I guess you can't leave the insane to their own devices. I may not have the strength left in these old bones, but allow me the honor of assisting you!"

Like a flood, marines and citizens alike started advancing to the group that was pushing against the cage. "All units," one commanding marine shouted. "I don't care who you are, move to support the cage pushing!"

Zoro turned his head to look at them. "Those of you that can't use Haki to the factory," he ordered. He positioned himself so that he was hiding Reecheru from their view. From the cheers from across the square it sounded like they were pushing the other end of the cage as well. "Everyone together...PUUUUUSH!" After a moment the cage stopped advancing.

Zoro gave a chuckle of triumph. That was soon silenced as the cage started moving in once again. "It's moving again!" someone cried.

"Just now," Sai spoke softly.

"It stopped for a second," Elizabello confirmed.

"So it really can be stopped," Hajrudin added.

"Doro-senpai!" Bortolomeo gushed. "You knew it all along!"

"Don't let up!" Zoro yelled. "Keep pushing! We gotta buy as much time as we can!"

"If it contracts anymore than this," Reecheru added. "Too many lives will be lost!" A round of agreement filled the air. The group struggled to keep the cage from closing in on them further.

A voice then came over the loud speaker. It was the colosseum announcer, Gatz. He was proclaiming that there was one man that was the only hope for Dressrosa. The colosseum fighter that they all knew as Lucy. He revealed to the entire country that it was actually Straw Hat Luffy under the disguise. He further revealed that Luffy had promised, once he got his Haki back, that he would K.O. Doflamingo in one punch.

"You better Luffy," Zoro grumbled. "If you don't, we won't be able to hold out for much longer."

Reecheru looked under Zoro's shoulder. Her Byakugan was activated. "This is bad," she announced. "I can see Doflamingo's energy. It's right next to Viola and that girl we were told is Riku's grand-daughter." Merissa's gaze shifted to look at Reecheru as she listened to the information. Even Zoro had grown quieter as Reecheru spoke. "He's using his string to hold Viola captive while controlling Rebecca. It looks like she's struggling to keep from doing something, but her posture indicates she's holding a sword aimed at Viola." A chant started spreading out across the city for Lucy. Gatz began the ten second countdown. "He has to make it in time."

In an instant, a profound silence stretched across the area. Reecheru let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Well?" Merissa asked impatiently.

"Luffy made it," Reecheru reported. "His energy signature suddenly switched with Viola's just as the sword was coming down."

Zoro looked in the same direction that Reecheru was with a grin on his face. "We've been waiting for you," he muttered. "COME ON LUFFY!"

"His energy has spiked," Reecheru announced. "It looks like this might be it. Luffy's up in the air and Doflamingo is giving chase." Those that were closest to Reecheru listened closely as she reported what she could 'see'. "Doflamingo is launching another string attack, except he's pouring so much more power into it then he ever has. Perhaps he intends this to be his last attack. Luffy's doing the same, putting so much energy into his left arm." Reecheru fell silent at this point. Luffy and Doflamingo were yelling at each other so loudly that everyone could hear them.

"Beasts that cannot be tamed must be put down," Doflamingo's voice rang out. "Sixteen Sacred Bullets of the Assassin! God Thread!"

"King Kong Gun!" Luffy's attack went off at the same time as Doflamingo's. Luffy's arm knocked away the killer thread like it was nothing more than simple yarn. His fist broke through the string shield that Doflamingo hid behind and hit the blonde man squarely in the jaw. Doflamingo broke the sound barrier as his body fell from the sky and hit the ground with enough impact to feel like an earthquake.

Luffy let out a strange breath, like he was blowing out smoke. His body shifted back to his normal size suddenly and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he lost consciousness. Before he could fall very far, Law used his ability and traded Luffy's place in the sky with that of a rock. Instead of falling several hundred feet, Luffy landed on the ground from a fall of half a foot or less. Steam was raising from Luffy's body, but it still appeared like he was breathing.

Gatz voice then rang out across the country again. "Dressrosa! Look into the sky! The bird cage is disappearing! Is it the bird cage that's disappearing or Doflamingo's control!?"

The strings of the bird cage started dissolving slowly. It started at the top and made it's way to the ground. Zoro and the rest didn't let up pushing against it until the strings were completely dissolved. Even then, those that were pushing didn't realize it. Zoro kept encouraging everyone to keep pushing. When the strings dissolved in front of them, the group stumbled forward as they lost the resistance. The only one that didn't fall forward was Fujitora as he sheathed his sword.

In an effort to keep Zoro from landing on her, Reecheru ducked and rolled forward. When her feet were under her she used the momentum from rolling to push up and jump out of the way. She looked around her and then towards the middle of the city. Reecheru felt herself relax, knowing that the immediate danger of Doflamingo was over. "Now then," Zoro's voice had her stiffening again. She felt one of Zoro's arms go across her back and trap her left arm to her side while his other arm went behind her knees and he lifted her. "You have some explaining to do."

"I can walk you know," Reecheru objected. "My feet weren't injured in this whole fiasco!"

"That might be true," Zoro nodded in a sage-like manner. "However, I don't want to give you the opportunity to run away from answering questions." Merissa started laughing in the background.

Reecheru turned to face Merissa with a glare. "You told him I would, didn't you!?" she accused.

"Not at all," Merissa shook her head. "It would appear that your chosen man already knows you way too well. But I've got to say..." Merissa started giggling like crazy as she pulled out a camera snail and took a picture. "I'm lovin this! Who would have known that I would finally get some blackmail material on you just by you having a man? If I had known sooner I would have hooked you up with someone before now." She ignored the glare that Zoro was pointing in her direction.

Through it all they could hear Gatz blubbering over the loud speaker. Eventually he managed to get out, "The Winner is...LUUUUUUUUUCCCYYYYYYYY!" The entire country let out a victorious cheer. Celebrating the liberation of their country from a man insane with power and his own self importance. Many tears were shed and people were clinging to each other in joy. Most hardly believing that the nightmare was finally over. Reecheru could feel Zoro tighten his grip on her just a little. She glanced up at him and saw a pleased smile on his features.

Zoro glanced down at Reecheru and shook his head. "I had been planning on taking that promise from you once the cage was down," he said. "But I suppose that I can wait until your arm is fixed up."

"What kind of kiss are you planning that I need both arms?" Reecheru's eyes narrowed on him.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"Come with me everyone," Tank came running up. "King Riku has ordered me to take you somewhere safe to recover. There's no telling when the marines will be after you or how long it will take Straw Hat to recover."

"Where is Luffy?" Zoro asked.

"Commander Kyros and the Tontattas are bringing him and Law to a safehouse already," Tank answered. "We'll meet up with them there."

"There's still a building standing in this country?" Merissa asked.

"It's an old house that's been abandoned," Tank said. "It's out in the country and was spared from the damage of the bird cage." The crew started following Tank without any further arguments.

"I can walk Zoro." Well, almost no complaints.

They ended up at a small house in the hills, surrounded by flowers. Luffy was already bandaged and in bed. Law was on the floor in front of him, also bandaged. The group took various places inside the main room as they surrounded their captain. Usopp joined Luffy in the bed and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Robin and Merissa took some of the chairs that were next to the lone table. As Zoro sat on the floor, he made sure to keep Reecheru in his arms so that she was now in his lap.

"I'm not a stuffed animal," Reecheru snapped. "You don't need to keep holding me."

"It's more comfortable for you this way," Zoro reasoned.

"Just let it go Rae," Merissa said. "Personally I would be thanking him if I were you. He's making sure that you don't have to sit on the hard floor like the rest of us."

"I'm not made of glass," Reecheru rolled her eyes. "In fact, I've slept in worse places then a hard floor. This place looks like a palace compared to a cave."

Franky had been snooping around the house. He found a few preservatives to split among the group and some bottles of sake. Zoro immediately reached for a bottle and popped it open. He took a large drink and offered some to Reecheru. "No thank you," Reecheru answered. "I'm still injured, remember? Alcohol at this point could do more harm then good." Zoro accepted the refusal and took another drink.

A knock on the door drew everyone's attention. The door opened and Sabo walked in. "How is everyone?" he asked.

"We're SUPER," Franky answered. "A country liberated from an evil tyrant and a warm place to rest for a bit. What more could a group of pirates ask for?"

Sabo smiled and nodded his head. He noticed that Robin was moving to the bed. "There's no need to wake him," Sabo stopped her. "I just came to see his face one last time."

"Are you leaving already?" Robin asked.

"CP Zero have started back for Dressrosa," Sabo explained. "They're after us." Zoro watched Sabo as he took another drink from his bottle. Reecheru also watched, but her eyes were starting to droop in exhaustion. The use of the Byakugan nearly all day and the Rasen Shurikan really took their toll on her. That and the warmth Zoro was giving off with the addition of his rhythmic heartbeat. It was all she could do to stay awake.

Sabo moved to sit on the bed, wanting to be as close to Luffy as he could. "Dressrosa is going to get quite hectic in a day or two," he warned. "You guys should leave as soon as possible as well."

"Still," Zoro spoke up. "To think that there was another brother besides Ace."

Franky sat in front of a bookcase and started working on his eye. "Seriously," he said as he worked. "This is the first time I've heard of it."

"I'm sure," Sabo smiled down at Luffy. "Luffy was probably the most surprised, to be honest. I've... Well, I've been dead all this time. When we were kids Ace, Luffy and I were quite the handful. Old man Garp did his best to keep us on a short leash. But once we agreed on becoming pirates the three of us exchanged vows of brotherhood over cups of sake. But one day I met with an accident. Or, should I say, an incident." Sabo sat and explained what happened to him. How the Celestial Dragon sank his rickety boat and he was rescued by Dragon.

He continued to explain that he thought it was best to stay away from the island. So that, for now, everyone thought he was dead. This way his parents wouldn't keep searching for him and threatening Luffy and Ace. He had planned on revealing himself to his brothers, but things didn't work out that way before Ace passed away.

Sabo stood abruptly and put his hat on. "Well then, I'm off," he announced.

"Already?" Robin asked.

"I got to see his face," Sabo smiled. "By the way, this is a vivre card for Luffy. I went ahead and made one." Sabo pulled the white parchment from his pocket and handed it to Zoro.

"When'd you get the time to..." Zoro started.

"I've already taken a piece for myself," Sabo interrupted. He started heading for the door. "I can only imagine what it's like trying to keep the reigns on Luffy. Still, I'm leaving him in your hands." Sabo turned and nodded to Merissa. Reecheru was asleep at this point. "Don't forget to report to Shikaru-sama every now and then. She'll get in contact with Dragon and he'll make me chase you two down. I won't be very happy if I have to keep putting things on hold because you two can't report on a regular basis." He then turned to look at Zoro. "You make sure she doesn't do anything else stupid. I'd lecture her myself, but now I have to leave." Zoro nodded as Sabo turned and left. Robin waved cheerfully as Franky waved with tears rolling down his face.

Zoro turned to the others with a smile. "Man," he said. "That's almost the exact same thing that Ace said to us." It wasn't long before the rest of the crew had fallen into their own healing slumber. Before she followed the others, Merissa took a blanket and placed it on top of Zoro and Reecheru. She smiled when she saw his eye open to look at her. "So she can't escape from you easily," she teased.

Inhaling deeply, Reecheru's eyes slowly opened. The first conscious thought she had was that she was surrounded by warmth. The second was that she didn't remember going to bed or pulling up the blanket. She looked down to see a wool blanket pulled up to her chin. She tried to move her arms out of the blanket. Her right arm was unresponsive, confusing Reecheru at first until she remembered the events of the day. Her left arm was trapped under something heavier than a blanket.

Reecheru lifted her head a bit to try to see what was going on. Just over her shoulder she found Zoro's face close to her own, sound asleep. His breathing was slow and deep, warm puffs of air shifting strands of her hair. Reecheru slowly faced forward once again. She took a deep breath to center herself. Then she began to wiggle her left arm free, bit by slow bit.

Just as Reecheru thought her arm would be free Zoro shifted. His arm came up and around her shoulders. It encased her from her left arm to her right shoulder. One of his legs then came up and intertwined with hers. Reecheru now found herself thoroughly trapped by this man she was falling in love with.

She was having mixed feelings about the whole situation. Back in Konoha the men, or boys if you looked at their behavior, were rarely interested. They mostly saw Reecheru as wild and untamable or too strong. Most male ninjas were only interested in having a woman around to show off to, to show they could protect her. They were put off by women like Reecheru and Merissa who were independent and refused to have to rely on any man. Needless to say, these feelings were new to Reecheru. She wasn't certain if she should trust them or not.

"Go back to sleep," Zoro said softly. His voice was more gruff than usual due to having just woke up. "We'll talk once we've gotten enough sleep." Reecheru closed her eyes in defeat. It was obvious he wasn't going to relent. She hesitantly leaned her head back. The way Zoro was holding her forced her head to naturally turn. Now her face was tucked firmly in the crook of Zoro's neck. She fell back asleep with all her senses being over-ridden by everything Zoro.

 **PuddyKatz asked where all the Zoro/OC was. I hope that this will do for now. :D. I don't usually update in the middle of my work week, I feel like it's a bit of a rush job. I'm not sure if this chapter meets up to the standards that's been put upon this story. The next arc of Ninja Pirates will be a filler, instead of following in cannon with the manga. Looking forward to writing it. Have a good rest of the week.**


	30. Leaving Dressrosa

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Twenty-nine: Leaving Dressrosa

Zoro opened his eye slowly. He peered around the room, taking stock of everyones condition. Robin and Merissa had moved their chairs so that they were up against the wall. Robin was sitting in her chair as she slept. Even in her sleep she seemed to be very poised. Merissa, on the other hand, looked like she was about to fall out of her chair. Her head was off to the side and against a shelf. Her legs were on a diagonal in the opposite direction of her head. It was a miracle that she hadn't fallen already.

Franky was still in the corner. Various tools were strewn around the area. His head was tilted back as he snored loudly. Luffy was still in the bed. His blanket had been thrown off and he had his legs and arms spread out. Usopp had long since fallen out of the bed completely, but he didn't bother to wake up or move from his new spot on the floor. Kyros and Bellamy were also still asleep on the floor.

Zoro then glanced to where Law had been sleeping on the floor. The Doctor of Death had moved and was now sitting up against the wall in a similar fashion as Zoro. The two of them made eye contact. Shortly after Law averted his gaze to stare at the floor as he became lost in thought. It weemed that a silent message had been delivered. Law needed to think and wished to remaining in peace as long as possible for him to achieve it.

Zoro then glanced down to the last person in the room. Reecheru was tucked soundly against his chest still. Her shoulders lifted with each steady inhale of breath. In his sleep, Zoro's hand had moved from it's position on her shoulders to around her waist. Reecheru's arm was now holding his closer to herself. Zoro smirked at the peaceful image, thinking back to the fight she put up as they made their way across Dressrosa just a short time ago. Not once did he have to worry about her to the point of distraction. She wasn't a burden on the battlefield. If anything, she was more of a help. When the enemy movements were uncertain, she would use her eye technique and give them all a vague idea of what was going on around them. Using observation haki would have been able to tell where the enemy was, but Reecheru could tell if they were getting ready to use an attack and from where a little faster.

Reecheru shifted just a little, her face becoming further buried in the crook of Zoro's neck. His smirk grew wider at the innocent action. The smirk faded and Zoro lifted the blanket covering Reecheru enough to see her right arm. It was still securely tucked into the sling that Merissa had forced upon her. Not much of her arm could be seen except for the fingers. Those didn't look good, from what Zoro could see. The tips were a darker pink than her face, but they weren't swollen.

Zoro touched Reecheru's forehead and she seemed a little feverish. "I thought that might happen." Zoro looked up at the voice. Merissa was getting out of her chair. She stretched her arms over her head. As she approached Zoro and Reecheru she turned her neck. All those that were awake could hear the resounding crack as her bones realligned. "With all the dust floating in the air an infection was bound to happen. Especially since she didn't cover the wounds right away."

Merissa kneeled down next to Zoro. She pulled the blanket away enough to see Reecheru's arm. She the proceeded to remove the sling. Her hands glowed a soft blue and held them above the arm. "Let's see what we can do about that and the nerves."

"I thought you didn't have the energy for that," Zoro pointed out.

"I got a few hours of sleep," Merissa said. "It was enough to restore some of my chakra. I can help her healing process along so that she doesn't lose the arm."

"I thought you were concerned about her moving the arm," Zoro said.

"I was concerned about both," Merissa confirmed. "But just by treating her like this, I can already tell that the arm has lost it's feeling and motor functions." Her attention was drawn to Law as he stood up and walked over.

"Or maybe you're not that good of a doctor," he said.

"I never claimed to be a doctor," Merissa argued. "I'm a medic nin, there's a difference. I'm first on the battlefield and first to respond to emergency situations. At the very least I can keep someone alive until the actual doctors arrive."

"Then let me have a look," Law said. "I'm a doctor, so I'll have a better chance of making sure your friend's arm is functional."

Merissa stopped what she was doing and stood up. "Be my guest," she said. "If you can return mobility to her arm before she knows it's missing then I won't have to hear her bitch and moan at me." Merissa then walked over to the meager kitchen in the small house. "Just before we fell asleep the villagers left us some supplies. I know most of you are bound to be hungry." Merissa started shuffling through the kitchen as Law began looking over Reecheru's arm.

Reecheru opened her eyes slowly. She hadn't slept that deeply in a few years. Ever since she left the village she never truly felt like she could let down her guard. Reecheru blinked as her 'bed' seemed to breathe beneath her. She tried to smack herself in the head for being so forgetful, only for nothing to happen. She looked down to her right arm. Law had it in both arms. When he noticed Reecheru was awake he took out a pin and poked the inside of her elbow. "Did you feel that?" he asked.

"No I didn't," Reecheru answered. "But that's probably because Merissa hasn't worked on the nerves yet."

"I did while you were asleep," Merissa called from across the room. "I was wondering why the pain didn't wake you up."

Law nodded his head solemnly and stood up again. "You've lost all feeling in your arm," he informed. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a fork and wooden spoon. "I'm lacking in some of my medical tools so this will have to do. I'm going to still perform a test on the reflexes of your arm. This is an automatic response and should tell us if your muscles are working or not."

"Before you ask," Merissa spoke again. "I reattached and 'stitched' those too."

Law used the fork to test certain pressure points in Reecheru's arm and the wooden spoon as a type of rubber mallet to hit the reflex joints. Reecheru's arm remained motionless and without feeling. "There is some small good news," Merissa sighed. She brought a cup of coffee to Reecheru and Zoro. "The blood flow to your arm wasn't cut off. At least not irreparably so. We got the blood flowing through your arm in time to keep from needing it amputated."

Reecheru took a deep breath and sipped at her coffee. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that I can keep my arm. But I have to wonder, is there really a point in working so hard to save it if I can't use it? Obviously two arms look better than one. But when the main hand doesn't even work it still looks a little silly." Reecheru then got a big grin on her face. "I know, I'll be in the middle of a battle and I can use my flapping arm as a distraction for my opponent."

"Not all hope is lost," Merissa went back to the kitchen. "When we get back to Konoha we can perform amputation there. Then we can place a prosthetic enhanced with chakra arm in it's stead."

"That seems a little drastic," Robin cut in. "I apologize for eavesdropping, however, you are talking out in the open."

"It's fine Robin," Reecheru said. "It's not like we can hide the fact my arm is useless. I'll just have to learn to fight more with my left hand."

"You're not upset?" Robin asked.

"I'm not happy," Reecheru answered. "But I knew the risks when I performed the attack. I knew that this could happen. It's my fault and I will accept the consequences. Besides, one arm is a small price compared to hundreds of lives."

Reecheru turned her head to look at Zoro. "Thank you for watching over me," she said. She leaned up and went to kiss Zoro on the cheek. At the last second Zoro moved so that the two of them were actually kissing. Reecheru moved away and gave Zoro a playful glare. "You're such a pirate."

"Damn right." Reecheru moved to get up and Zoro allowed her to this time. She gave a stretch with what limbs she could. She heard a huff and looked down at Zoro. He was looking at her with a appreciative stare. Reecheru blinked and looked down. In her sleep her clothing had become slightly disheveled. When she had stretched her top had risen to show her mid-drift. Reecheru shot Zoro another playful glare, fixed her clothes as best she could and went into the kitchen to see if she could help Merissa, even if it was to yell at her for messing up the kitchen.

It didn't take long for the rest of the crew to wake up. At some point Kin'emon and Kanjuro joined them. Luffy was the last to wake up and only because he could smell the food. Luffy sat at the table and began to eat with gusto. The crew was filling him in with what had happened during their fights. At one point, a messenger came and told everyone how the royal family was doing. That's when Robin informed them that there's a rumor making the people think that Rebecca is the daughter of Scarlett and some foreign prince during an affair.

Luffy heard the story and started blubbering a bunch of jibberish. Robin translated for Reecheru and Merissa who were still getting used to their captain. "What the hell's that story about!? And I'm so sad that Sabo's gone. We've got to catch up to Sanji as soon as possible!" He had one eye open while the other was closed and a snore would come come out in between sentences.

Zoro snapped at the captain for his behavior. "Hey! Are you angry, sad, anxious, hungry or sleepy!? Pick ONE! Not all of them at the same time!" Reecheru smiled at the behavior from her place next to Zoro. For some reason he wasn't letting her go too far out of his sight. Merissa was standing off to the side, attempting to keep Luffy from eating all the food. She wanted to make sure that everyone had something to eat first and she was concerned that Luffy might overdo it and get sick from eating so much.

"Don't worry about him eating too much," Franky said to her. "He does this all the time. Even when we haven't been in a fight he eats like it's his last meal."

Luffy's fist slammed on the table. "Rebecca's dad is the soldier!" he yelled. His head then fell backwards as he fell asleep once more.

Usopp started to freak out at this. "Maybe he's not that well yet," he suggested. "Why don't you go back and rest properly!?"

"I'm the one that started the rumor in the first place," Kyros admitted. He was standing next to the window and gazing into the distance. "The only people that knew about Rebecca were the royal family and the Don Quixote family. The rest of the citizens only knew her mother. So I chose to go with that rumor before anyone found out that I was her father."

Luffy woke again to give Kyros a questioning glare. Robin looked just as confused. "Why?" she asked.

"I have a record," Kyros answered. "And to be honest, a very dark past. I knew I was never meant to be tied to the royal family. So this is for the best."

"NO WAY IT IS!" Luffy yelled as he waved a turkey leg in the air. "REBECCA KNOWS EVERYTHING!"

"I've sent her a letter, she should have gotten it by now." Kyros' voice didn't change it's infliction, he wasn't bothered by Luffy yelling at him. He was just letting the overworked captain's words roll off of him. "It told her everything about me. She might hate my decisions now, but she's still a child. I don't want her to sacrifice her future in the heat of the moment. King Riku understands as well."

The room fell silent as Luffy's anger amplified. 'He's not buying the idea at all...' Zoro and Usopp thought.

Reecheru tapped a cleared space on the table thoughtfully. "I have to wonder about something," she said. "Yes, I agree that Rebecca is young. At the same time, she's hardly a child. You don't spend as much time fighting in the gladiator ring as she did and not gain some worldly knowledge. She's not as naive as you think. I believe that she's old enough to make that decision for herself."

"It's not up to you," Kyros pointed out.

"While that is true," Merissa added. "It's kind of our responsibility to point out when someone is being an idiot. In this case, it's you. Rebecca spent half her life without her parents. She just recently got her father back. Now you're going to take that away from her again. It'll be just like losing her mother all over again. Only now she'll will truly be alone." Kyros simply stared at the two ninja women.

Bortolomeo barged in as a transponder snail started ringing. Kyros answered the snail as Bortolomeo started yelling. "Captai... Ah, Lord Kyros! This is Leo."

"ZORO-SENPAI! WOAH! LUFFY-SENPAI, YOU'RE AWAKE! GOOD MORNING!" Most everyone in the room turned to look at the noisy person. He was ignored by Law and Kyros. Bortolomeo stumbled when he realized all eyes were on him. "GOOOAH! SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE STRAW HAT CREW ARE HERE! THEY'RE TOO BRIGHT FOR ME, I CAN'T EVEN SEE! THEY'RE LIKE A LASER BEAM OF GREATNESS!" He continued to scream nonsense on what would happen if he saw the whole crew together.

Reecheru plugged her left ear with her only working hand. She then pressed her right ear into Zoro's shoulder in an attempt to drown out the idiot. Zoro glanced at her and figured out the problem immediately. Bortolomeo was yelling directly in her ears. His temper snapped and he yelled at Bortolomeo, "JUST GET ON WITH IT!"

"There's movement in the Navy tent," Bortolomeo explained. "This place isn't safe anymore." He then explained what exactly was going on and who had arrived. The room had various reactions. Franky was surprised, Usopp was freaking out and Law turned to look at Bortolomeo. Kyros went back to the snail and asked Leo for an explanation. Leo confirmed what Bortolomeo ran all the way to tell them.

"The navy's coming this way!" Usopp freaked.

"Why are you afraid now?" Kin'emon asked him. "We have prepared an escape beforehand and are good to go."

"That's right," Kanjuro agreed. "All we need now is a ship."

"That's the problem," Usopp snapped.

"Luffy-senpai," Bortolomeo stopped the argument. "Sirs! Please follow me! I'll take you to the Eastern Port. We've been waiting all this time for you, so that you can escape the moment you're ready." Luffy kept eating as Bortolomeo made his speech. Zoro had an arm draped over Reecheru's shoulder and the other rested on his thigh. He had unbuttoned his dress shirt, his jacket lost somewhere he didn't care about. He was slouched slightly as he listened. Everyone else was sitting or standing up straight, prepared to fight if needed. "Your comrades," Bortolomeo continued. "Are already waiting in their places. We've got a ship ready in the Eastern Port."

"Oh," Franky lowered his eyes and a smile spread across his face. He was eager for the next amount of action that was sure to come. "You have our thanks. We were in quite some trouble since we sent the Sunny ahead of us."

"Of course! We're comrades that have fought together," Bortolomeo agreed. He started to open the front door. The gathering marines were making a racket over the slight action. "Like hell I'd let them take our king at this point!"

The gathered pirates started to make for the door. Luffy looked to the side to see Bellamy also standing. "You can stand?" he asked.

"Of course," Bellamy said. "I could even run now." Bellamy directed his attention to Law, who was about to exit the door. "Trafalgar Law, why didn't you kill me? Now I've lost the chance to die!"

"Straw Hat-ya told me he was friends with you," Law tossed over his shoulder. "If you want to die go somewhere else and do it."

Bortolomeo created a barrier and the pirates rushed out of the house. They ran away amidst a hail of bullets. Zoro made sure to keep an eye on Reecheru. She was running with everyone else, keeping up with no trouble. Merissa was sending a glare at Law. She didn't agree with his telling Bellamy to go somewhere to die. As a health care professional he should be encouraging people to live, especially those that he's treated.

"Problem?" Law glanced at her.

"You and I are going to have a few words," Merissa hissed. "Once we're no longer being shot at, that is."

Luffy split off from the group. "I think I have some things to settle," he excused. "You guys go on ahead. I'll meet you there in a little while."

Zoro looked back at Luffy and yelled. "We're running out of time." He didn't slow down his pace or allow anyone else to slow down either. "Finish what you need to do and meet us at the Eastern Port!"

"Got it," Luffy waved. "Oh, and Rae!" He waited for Reecheru to look back at him. "Don't let Zoro get lost. We're in a hurry!"

"No problem Captain," Reecheru giggled. Zoro grumbled about how he doesn't get lost. "Of course you don't tough guy." She took his right hand in her left. "Keep telling yourself that and one day you'll be right."

"Are you teasing me now?"

"Maybe..."

Usopp had a moment of clumsiness and fell on his face. Merissa, to avoid colliding with him, jumped over his prone body instead. "Aren't you going to help me?" he asked.

"When running from the navy," Merissa smiled back. "It's every ninja for herself." Robin, who was running next to her, giggled.

The first familiar face they ran past was Cavendish. "The port is that way," he pointed. He was sitting on top of his horse, facing the oncoming navy. He sat in a posture that made him appear as regal as possible. The only one that acknowledged his help was Usopp who, after gathering himself up and running again, tossed a quick 'thanks' over his shoulder.

The running pirates then found themselves running through a path made clear by the colosseum fighters. "Don't be ridiculous," Sai said. "We're just paying you back what we owe you."

"That being said," Hajrudin added. "We probably owe you a lifetime." As soon as the Straw Hats passed the last fighter they closed ranks and cut off the pursuing navy.

It wasn't long before the group came to what was left of the Eastern Port. "Where is Luffy and Law!?" someone asked.

"I can't believe that the two leaders would go missing at a time like this!"

"Luffy-senpai," Bortolomeo whined. "Where are you?" He was looking in the direction from where they came. A cloud of dust had covered their tracks. In the cloud a figure could be seen heading towards them. Bortolomeo squinted to try and make out who it was. Once he realized who it was his face turned blue. "It's Fujitora!" he yelled. His panic spread through the other fighters that were defending the escaping Straw Hats. Hearing the yelling, Zoro put his hands on his swords. He placed himself between Fujitora and the others. "Luffy-senpai! Where are you!? You need to hurry!"

The colosseum fighters then got in front of Zoro. "We'll take care of this," Sai said. "You take care of your Nakama and get them to the ship."

Reecheru, who had been standing behind Zoro, was pulled away by Merissa. "I'm not letting you get involved in fighting an admiral," she said. "You don't have the use of your dominate arm anymore. Until you learn to use your left arm just as efficiently or we get a prosthetic from home you're not going to fight someone on that level."

"But we have a mission," Reecheru argued. "We're supposed to let the World Government know that the ninja nations are against them."

"Okay, fine." Merissa moved so that she was able to see Fujitora. "Hey old guy! The five great nations of ninja are against the world government. We seek the absolute abolition of your corrupt system and full surrender of the weak celestial dragons. Defeat, on your part, is unavoidable. It is within your best interest to surrender now before lives are lost. I can assure you that not a single one of your fighters is prepared for a fight against true ninja. No need to rush in the decision, but our Hokage will be most grateful for a speedy response!"

Merissa dusted her hands off and turned back to Reecheru. Reecheru was looking at Merissa like she had grown another head. "What?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Reecheru snapped. "We were only supposed to let them know that the five nations exist, not demand a surrender or give a declaration of war."

"You say tomato, I say tamato."

"THIS IS NOT THE SAME THING!" Zoro started laughing as he put his sword away. Robin giggled politely behind her hand. Franky was giving a 'thumbs up' to Merissa while Usopp was hiding behind him. He was startled even further when the broken pieces of building started to float into the sky.

"SHIIIIIT!" Bortolomeo freaked. "This is cheating!"

"So this is his plan," Sai grumbled.

"He's using the rubble as his weapons," Hajrudin commented.

"Now that's some wide range," Don Chin Jao added.

"It'll be the same where ever you go," Law ran up. "Get the ships ready!"

"We were waiting for you," Cavendish accused. "Where were you TRAFALGAR LAW!?"

"Everyone," Sai cut him off. "Hurry to the ships!"

"They're coming!" Usopp pointed out. Luffy was coming towards them from behind Fujitora.

"Luffy-senpai!" Bortolomeo cried. "You made it! Just hurry up and jump on board. Watch out for Fujitora though. Fly past him!"

"Everyone's here now," Sai pointed out. "Get on the ship!" The colosseum fighters started ushering the Straw Hats down towards the waiting ships.

"Hey gambling man," Luffy called out. "Do you remember me? I'm going to punch you in the face!" True to his word, Luffy through his Elephant Gun punch right at Fujitora's face. "I'm tired of running," Luffy continued. "All I did was run two years ago. I'm not going to do it anymore. I don't care if you're an admiral or a yonkou. I'll beat all of you up if I have to! Or I'll never be king of the pirates!"

The colosseum fighters were standing in shock at Luffy's sudden determination. The crew members all stood and stared. None were really shocked by this behavior. "I can appreciate what Luffy is trying to prove," Zoro stated. He glanced down to Reecheru then back up to Luffy. "But what's up with him changing his fighting style all of a sudden?"

Fujitora lost his temper over Luffy announcing his attacks. He obviously felt that Luffy was patronizing him. Luffy's response to Fujitora's rant was, "Screw You! Since you're blind I wanted you to know exactly how I was kicking your ass! It isn't like I hate you or anything old man!" This caused Fujitora to start laughing. Luffy, in response, only grew enraged by the action. The two continued to yell their ideals out at each other.

Zoro reached for his swords once again and started to rush forward. "Alright Luffy," he called out. "Tag me in!"

He started forward, but was stopped by Bortolomeo. "No, no please! Now's not the time Zoro-senpai! We've got enough on our plate already."

Zoro stopped and looked back at him. "Enough on our plate?" The crew watched as Hajrudin picked Luffy up.

"That's it," Cavendish cheered on. "Make sure to put him straight on the ship!"

"Why's there only one ship here?" Usopp asked.

Orlumbus smiled down at him. "Look again," he said. "Besides, who'd want to dock their ship here with all the crazy shit that's been going on? Most of our ships are docked in the mist five kilometers out."

"Damn," Merissa let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of ships."

"This is my Santa Maria Fleet's connection bridge," Orlumbus boasted."You can cross out to sea with it."

"I'm still giving him a piece of my mind," Luffy yelled.

"Please let it go," Hajrudin pleaded. "Don't make me beg."

"I'm not done with him!" Luffy pressed.

"Keep it in your pants," Sai snapped. "We've got stuff to do."

"So I have a question," Reecheru spoke up. She was running across the bridge with everyone else. Merissa, who had run in front, looked back to her. Reecheru pointedly looked up to the sky. "Are we really just going to ignore the island worth of crap floating over our heads?"

"What are you talking about?" Usopp looked up. His eyes bugged out of his head and he started freaking out.

Zoro pushed Usopp further across the bridge. "We'll worry about that later," he said.

"I kind of think we should worry about it now," Merissa argued. "What good will getting to the ship do if we're only going to be crushed?"

"GIVE US BACK REBECCA!"

Merissa looked back to the island. "Come again?"

"GIVE HER BACK LUCY!"

"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU NEVER WERE A HERO, LUCY!?"

The citizens of Dressrosa were rushing across the barren landscape, various weapons raised seemingly in anger. Fujitora began to plead with the citizens to let him handle the criminals. They answered by telling him to 'shove it'. The people didn't want any help from the World Government, not after what they had allowed to occur. The people rushed passed Fujitora with smiles on their faces, despite what they were yelling.

"Prepare yourself Lucy," was heard. "Set sail! We're coming after you!"

"Wait everyone," someone spoke up. "Rebecca's been found. She's at the house on the hill with Lord Kyros."

"We already know that silly," another spoke. The older people started lecturing the younger generation that they had already known the secret of Scarlett married to Kyros and of the true identities of the fairies. They were just doing this to give their saviors, Luffy and his crew, a chance to escape the country. Some of the citizens could be seen wearing shirts that said 'We Luv Lucy' on them.

The crew and fighters all got away from Fujitora all thanks to the people of Dressrosa. They had been so grateful for their liberation that they defied the world government. Hajrudin put Luffy down once he had calmed and Fujitora was out of sight. Now they were standing in front of a ship. "Now feast your eyes on her," Bortolomeo cheered. Luffy, Franky, Usopp, Kin'emon and Kanjuro had their mouths open in shock. Law didn't look too interested in the ship. Robin had a smile on her face. Reecheru and Merissa blinked up at it in stunned silence. Zoro smirked at the sight as he put a hand around Reecheru's waist.

"Ain't she a beaut?" Bortolomeo asked. They were looking at the giant ship Yonta Maria, the flagship of the Santa Maria fleet.

"It's not even your ship," Cavendish snapped.

"Time is of the essence," Orlumbus reminded. "Quickly, everyone get on board."

"I'll show you my ship later," Bortolomeo promised. "You'll all wet yourselves, I swear!"

"Luffy," Hajrudin approached once everyone was on board. "I've got four mercenary friends who are also giants. With their help we'll get together the giant tribes and reform the giant pirate crew."

"Wow," Luffy admired. "Sounds like a crew I'd hate to go up against. Looks like we might be seeing each other down the road." Usopp got really excited about the prospect of Dorry and Broggy returning to their glory days. He then admitted to longing to go and see Elbaf in person.

"And our Yonta Maria Fleet," Orlumbus put it. "A fifty-six ship strong armada. It should be of use to you."

"Of use?" Robin asked. Merissa and Reecheru had moved off to the side. Merissa started working on Reecheru's right arm again. She was checking to see if she could have been wrong and there was some way to regain it's mobility. The two looked at each other and then back to the current conversation.

"Luffyland!" Leo cheered from the floor.

"When did they get here?" Merissa asked. Indeed, a small group of Tontattas were gathered around the Straw Hat crew.

"We've gotten permission from Chief Tonta," Leo continued. "We'd like you to include us as well."

"Include?" Franky raised his sunglasses away from his eyes.

The other fighters then started explaining what their plans were to Luffy as well. "What are you guys talking about?" Luffy finally asked. "You can all just do whatever you want."

"Well thing is," Sai said. "During the two days we were huddled in the palace we all came to a sort of mutual understanding." Luffy just looked on in confusion.

"Allow me to explain," Orlumbus spoke up. "By the way, we decided on this by order of lottery. First off, we have the 75 members of the 'Beautiful Pirate Crew'. Their representative is their captain, White Horse Cavendish. Next we have the 56 members of the Barto Club. Their captain is Bortolomeo the Cannibal. The approximately 1000 members of the Happo Navy, led by their 13th captain Don Sai. The four members of the Triple X Martial Arts Alliance. Their representative is Ideo, the Destruction Cannon. The 200 members of the Tontattas Tribe's Tonta Corps led by Leo the Warrior. At the moment it's only got five members, but the soon-to-be-formed Giant Pirate Crew and all it's members. Their captain is Hajrudin. And last, but not least, we have the 4300 members of my Yonta Maria Grand Fleet with me as admiral, Pioneer Adventurer Orlumbus, at your beck and call!"

"Altogether," Bortolomeo continued. "That makes 5600 people Luffy-senpai." He was down on his hands and knees at this point.

"Oh boy," Merissa rolled her eyes. "I can see where this is going." Reecheru only shook her head in response.

"Would you do us the honor of exchanging a cup of sake," Sai continued. "With us seven respresentatives to form our parent-child relationship?"

"Parent and child?" Luffy asked.

"That's right baby!" Bortolomeo looked up from his place on the floor. A strange sort of gleam was in his eye. "You're going to be the Big Daddy Boss now! That means we're your underling children. Please, would you grant us the honor of joining as your subordinate crews underneath the flagship Straw Hat Crew!?"


	31. Vows and Bounties

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.  
Ninja Pirates  
Chapter Thirty: Vows and Bounties  
A large cup of sake was put in front of Luffy. The other captains watched Luffy with anticipation as he lifted the cup to his face. "There's no way I'm drinking this," he grinned.  
The group of captains and other colosseum fighters stood there in shock. "WHAAA!?"  
"I don't really like the taste of alcohol," Luffy reasoned.  
"It's not about taste here!" Bortolomeo argued. "Because of this incident you guys are going to end up on the big shots hit list. They'll be after your heads! And because you all saved us we..."  
"But if I drink this," Luffy interrupted. "Doesn't that mean that I'll become the captain commander of this fleet?"  
"Well I'll be," Merissa grinned. "He does have a brain in there after all."  
"Be nice," Reecheru hissed.  
"That's right," Bortolomeo readily agreed. "With all these underlings at your beck and call you'll finally be able to openly become a bigshot pirate."  
"You say that like it's Luffy's goal to lead that many people," Merissa chastised. She finished up her work on Reecheru's arm. When the other woman looked up at her Merissa shook her head sadly. This showed Reecheru that the arm was a complete loss. "As far as I know Luffy only wants to become the pirate king."  
"That's precisely the point," Bortolomeo pressed. He was pointing at Merissa, only to pull away quickly when she glared at him. He then turned back to Luffy to try to convince him. "Luffy-senpai, you're the man that will one day become Pirate King. You're gonna need at least this many people if you're going to take over the world."  
"It's my turn to say something," Reecheru stood up. "World domination has never been the goal here. If it was ever a goal by Luffy or any other of the Straw Hats then Merissa and I wouldn't have joined, no matter how Luffy begged. In fact, we'd probably receive orders to stop Luffy before he became Pirate King. We're helping Luffy precisely because his goal isn't to rule over the world. Our true superiors admire how he's able to get under the government's skin without much effort."  
"Okay, fine," Bortolomeo backpedaled. "Forget I mentioned World Domination. But the fact remains that there's going to be worse competition for you Straw Hats now. You're going to need as much firepower as you can get."  
"Just leave it be," Zoro shook his head with a smile. He understood what Luffy was thinking and he agreed. Not to mention he liked not being a conventional pirate. It wasn't his style to go around and hurt the innocent. "Luffy doesn't take to the kind of thing you're suggesting. Pour that sake back into the barrel. I'll take my time guzzling it."  
"Oi!" Bortolomeo protested. "We're not trying to kick back and have a few beers here!"  
"Why Straw Hat!?" Orlumbus pleaded. "What part of this formidable power displeases you? Even the strongest cannot best the power found in numbers. There will certainly come a day when even you will need us!"  
"Too uptight," Luffy scowled. His nose started working. "Anyway, my nose is telling me that you guys are preparing a banquet back there!"  
"You just ate!" Merissa yelled.  
"Crap," Usopp groaned. "His attention has switched to food." Next to Usopp Zoro had a hand on his chin as he eyed the cup of sake Luffy was ignoring. The next thing Merissa and Reecheru knew was arguing among the representatives and Usopp.  
"LIKE I SAID!" Luffy yelled above everyone to be heard. "I'M GONNA BE PIRATE KING! I'VE GOT NO INTEREST IN BEING SOME POOFY BIGSHOT!" The silence that followed was deafening. The representatives looked at Luffy in confusion and tilted their heads in question.  
"Did he really just say that?" Law asked as he came up next to Merissa.  
"What can we say? The man is a living contradiction," Merissa answered.  
Zoro ignored what was going on. He dipped his hand into Luffy's cup and took a drink. "This sake isn't half bad," he complimented. Usopp slapped the back of his head and lectured Zoro on using manners.  
"Not half bad you say?" Franky asked.  
"Not a single one of them is paying attention anymore," Reecheru giggled. "I suppose they can't force Luffy to drink so the discussion is over."  
Luffy moved to stand on a rail and addressed the other crews. "If we happen to get into a pinch we'll just call for you guys," he reasoned. "And if that ever happens just come and help us. There's no need for all this parent-child stuff. I have no interest in being a Bigshot Pirate Boss. If you guys are ever in trouble just yell for me. You have my word, I'll be there before you know it." Luffy had a big grin on his face as he addressed the gathered crews. "I'll never forget that we all fought Doflamingo together!"  
"I think I get what he's trying to say," Bortolomeo realized. A look of clarity appeared on his face as if he had an epiphany. "Luffy-senpai's idea of a pirate king isn't of some super important bigshot. His idea is of someone that's...free..." Tears started streaming down his face as he understood a little bit more about Luffy.  
The sound of cannons and an attacking fleet went ignored by the group. Orlumbus was letting one of the other fleet ships handle the situation. Bortolomeo was on the floor, crying out how he now understood Luffy's feelings and that he admired him even more for it. Hajrudin laughed and agreed with him. "Let's get this started," Hajrudin declared. "Bortolomeo, there's no need for him to drink his parent portion anyway."  
"You do have a point," Cavendish agreed with a smile. The atmosphere of the representatives changed dramatically. They were no longer angered over the fact that Luffy refused to drink the sake. Luffy looked at all of them in confusion, wondering what the sudden shift in attitude was about.  
Sai nodded and looked up at Luffy. "Something tells me that you're not the type of guy to prevent others from exercising their free will," he grinned.  
"Actually you're right," Leo also agreed with a pleased smile.  
As a sea battle raged close by the group continued to have their meeting. Zoro, Kin'emon and Kanjuro were gathered around Luffy's abandoned cup of sake. Each dipping their hands in and taking drinks. Reecheru and Merissa watched them do this without anyone else noticing. Merissa had a look of disgust while Reecheru fought to keep from laughing. "You're not upset that your man is possibly getting drunk?" Merissa asked. "Why don't you stop him?"  
"I'd like to see you try," Reecheru laughed at her. "Let's also look at a few facts. Have you ever known of a happy relationship where a woman goes into it believing that she can change the behavior of the man she supposedly loves? In truth, she doesn't love him persay. She loves what he can do for her and loves the image she has invisioned him to be. A woman that goes into anything with that kind of thought is bound to be sorely disappointed. Now let me ask you something else, am I the kind of person to force my ideals on anyone?"  
"Okay," Merissa held up her hands. "You've proven your point. You wouldn't love Zoro if you felt you needed to change him." A sly smile then spread across her features. "But you did reveal something about yourself. I'm suspecting that it was unintentional on your part. You just revealed, admittedly in a round-about-way, that you love Zoro."  
Zoro paused for a split second in his drinking. He had been listening to the conversation, pretending to be more interested in the sake. However, he had been curious about what the two were talking about since it was about him. He went back to drinking as if he hadn't heard anything. He wanted Reecheru to tell him to his face her feelings, not eavesdrop about it.  
"Luffy-senpai!" Bortolomeo sat on the floor and pointed to his idol. "We're pretty much just doing this on our own, but here goes." The group then lifted their cups of sake above their heads. As they continued with the ceremony the sounds of large splashing could be heard.  
Merissa and Reecheru noted that the floating debris had been dropped on the fleet that was firing cannons at them. "How lucky can one guy get?" Merissa asked.  
"I had once asked Zoro something similar," Reecheru commented.  
"And?"  
"And nothing," Reecheru turned away. "I'm not telling you what he said. Just that I guess they have such good luck that it's inconceivable to them to ever fail in their goals."  
"Now I'm curious," Merissa leaned closer.  
"I guess you'll just have to let that cat die then."  
"Oh come on!"  
"Where we going?"  
"You little brat!"  
Their banter was interrupted by the representatives all speaking at the same time. "We hereby do swear to, at any time and any circumstances, become thy shield or thy sword! As repayment for all thou has done for us! We seven, with every fiber of our being, do hereby very selfishly take, with these cups of sake, our vows to be your underlings!" They all then started to drink from their respective cups of sake.  
Luffy's eyes widened and a look of shock crossed his features. "HEEEY!" Luffy started to yell in rage. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"  
His shout went ignored by the surrounding crew. "Oh," one crewman started. "Does this mean we can openly...?"  
"Is the banquet ready yet? Hurry!"  
"Everything's set! Time to celebrate the formation of the 5600 Strong Straw Hat Grand Fleet!"  
Robin and Franky started laughing at the joyous behavior of the men around them. "They certainly do as they please," Robin commented.  
"An underling's vow?" Franky laughed. "Who ever heard of such a thing?"  
"BIG BOSS STRAW HAT! WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING UNDER YOU!"  
Luffy's eyes turned evil and his teeth sharpened. "Oi!" he yelled at them. "I haven't had a single drop of this you idiots!" He was holding the sake cup, upside down. "Why is this thing empty?" Zoro stood behind Luffy, back turned to him, and wiped his mouth. A satisfied look was on his face. He made eye contact with Reecheru who only smiled and shook her head at his antics.  
"That's how it should be," Sai pointed out to Luffy. "You keep acting the way you always have. We've just selfishly pledged vows of loyalty to you. If anything happens, we'll come of our own accord to your aid. Wouldn't hurt to have a bunch of people under you that you have no responsibility towards, now would it? So it would be a huge help if you took down our names and at least remembered our faces..."  
"Luffy, the main course is going to be fighting fish steak!" Usopp called.  
Like a flash Luffy was running after Usopp towards the banquet. "That sounds friggin awesome!" Luffy yelled as he drooled. Luffy made it to the table first, a knife and fork in each hand. Once everyone had finally gathered he didn't waste any time. "Now then boys," he started off. "Time to celebrate that in our fight with Mingo's family..." Everyone was holding a mug of some type of alcoholic beverage. This included Reecheru and Merissa who wouldn't be allowed to be left out, Luffy's orders. "WE WON!" Everyone raised their mugs in a type of uncivilized toast. As the mugs clashed the liquid sploshed around and some even spilt. The roudy pirates got even more so after that.  
Reecheru was having to eat slowly. With her right arm no longer working she had to rely on her left now, which wasn't the dominate hand. Luffy came up and sat cross-legged in front of her. She cocked her head to the side when she saw Luffy holding out a piece of steak on a fork to her. "What's this?" she asked.  
"You need meat," Luffy stated.  
"What makes you think that?" she asked. She made a gesture to the plate next to her. "I already have plenty of food."  
"Meat helps you heal," Luffy reasoned. "You need more meat so that you can use your arm again."  
"Oh I see," Reecheru had to hold back her laughter. "I'm afraid that it doesn't quite work like that Luffy. Just eating meat won't heal my arm."  
"Why not?" Luffy looked at her in confusion.  
"Think of it like this," Reecheru set her fork down. "Let's say that there's this robot toy you like to play with all the time. Then Zoro comes along and starts teasing you with it. In his carelessness he breaks off the arm. Chopper is able to reattach the arm, but it doesn't work like it should. Nothing you or anyone else can do can make it work again. That's what happened with my arm. In a careless act I lost the ability to use it, nearly losing it altogether."  
"That dwarf princess was healing the town's people," Luffy pointed out. "Why didn't you ask her for help?"  
"We did," Reecheru nodded. "It was while you were asleep. She had come to visit and heal what she could. The minor wounds were a piece of cake for her. My arm, some of Law's injuries and some of yours are different. She couldn't see what needed to be healed. In order for her power to work she needs to see or touch it. My arm's injury is deep beneath the skin. She couldn't do a thing for me."  
"So it's a mystery injury," Luffy nodded.  
"No, that's not..."  
"That's exactly what it is Luffy," Zoro interrupted. He came up and sat next to Reecheru. "We'll have Chopper take a look at her arm when we meet back up. Maybe a third professional opinion will bring about different results."  
"That's a good idea," Luffy nodded. He shoved the meat to Reecheru so that she had to catch it. "In the meantime, eat more meat. It will help you get better." He then walked away like he had just discovered a great mystery of the universe.  
"Why did you let him think that we don't know what the cause of the injury is?" Reecheru looked at Zoro.  
"You would have been here all day trying to explain it," Zoro smirked. "Our captain has been accused of many things, being smart isn't one of them. Very intuitive, but not smart. One of three things would have happened if I let you keep going. You would have had to repeat yourself over and over, he would have fallen asleep or he would have just walked away after coming to his own conclusion. I just saved you from a massive headache."  
"Then you have my gratitude," Reecheru smiled.  
"Don't I get a payment?" Zoro smirked.  
"Since I never asked for help, nope."  
"Cheap."  
"You have no idea."  
Once the party was over Bortolomeo escorted the members of the actual Straw Hat crew and Trafalgar Law to his ship. Merissa and Reecheru stopped short at the sight. Reecheru reached into her pocket and pulled out a kunai. She handed it towards Merissa, handle out. "What's this for?" Merissa asked.  
"So you can gouge out my eyes," Reecheru answered. "I can't unsee that."  
"You really want that to be the last thing you see before you lose your sight?"  
"That's a good point," Reecheru nodded. "I need some eye candy then."  
"I'm on it," Merissa smirked evilly. "Zoro! Strip for the lady!"  
"WHAAA!?" Both Zoro and Reecheru yelled.  
Usopp ignored them and turned to Bortolomeo. "Why does your ship look more Luffy-ish compared to ours?"  
"Oh," Bortolomeo beamed. "Thank you! I'm glad you like it."  
"No," Usopp denied. "That's not what I'm saying."  
Bortolomeo and his crew then proceeded to put Luffy's vivre card in a glass case and enshrine it. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence," the crew cheered.  
"Boss," one crewmember complained. "I can't see. He shines so brightly that I can't see his face."  
"It's the same here!"  
Luffy held his stomach as he laughed at their antics. The others just stared at the strange crew. "So they're all like that," Usopp commented.  
Bortolomeo had comfortable couches arranged for the members of the Straw Hat crew to lounge around on. Luffy sat at the end of one couch, bouncing up and down. Reecheru sat next to him, with Zoro coming down close to her. He had the paper with him. He folded it open and set it in his lap. He then put an arm around Reecheru's shoulders and pulled her close. He used his free hand to turn the pages when needed.  
Merissa sat on Zoro's other side, though not as close. Law sat next to her and looked up at Bortolomeo. "Let's get moving to Zou then," he ordered. "Chop-chop."  
Merissa looked over at him then. "Chop-chop? What are you, a chef? Who uses that phrase anymore?" Law sent her a glare and the two had a staring contest.  
"I wonder if Sanji and the others are already there," Usopp mused.  
"They have Nami for navigation," Franky pointed out. "It shouldn't have been a problem in that case. But what about Big Mom's ship?"  
"Hey Luffy," Zoro spoke up suddenly. "It looks like our bounties have gone up again."  
"REALLY!?" Luffy asked with stars in his eyes.  
"You didn't know?" Bortolomeo asked. "Come to my room and I'll show you." He then leaned across towards Law. "Your bounty went up too, but I threw it away. You're now worth five hundred million."  
"Thanks," Law said dispassionately. "Like I give a damn about the numbers."  
"Alright," Bortolomeo led everyone to his room. He then made a grand show of displaying the wanted posters. "Here they are!"  
"FRAMED!?"  
"Why are they..." Merissa started. She then held up her hand when Bortolomeo started to answer. "Nevermind, I don't want to know." She then started to mumble to herself. "It's just my luck I had to board a ship full of fangirls."  
"I believe the term is 'groupies' at this point," Reecheru corrected.  
"Like I give a shit about technicalities," Merissa rolled her eyes.  
"I've also got your autographs," Bortolomeo hugged a special frame.  
"He keeps all this in his room?" Reecheru asked for clarification. Merissa could only nod her head. "I think I want out of here now." Merissa looked at Reecheru in question. Reecheru rolled her eyes and started spelling it out. "Biggest fangirl that we've ever met. He idolizes Luffy and the crew to obsession. This is his private room. What do you think he does, alone, in the dead of night?"  
Merissa's eyes widened and she started hitting her own head. "Damnit Rae!" she yelled out. "I did not need that mental image!" Reecheru's only response was to laugh cruelly.  
"Five hundred million," Luffy pointed out to his poster. "YESSS!"  
Zoro looked at his poster of three hundred and twenty million. He let out a pleased grunt and asked for booze. "I think that's a good picture of you," Reecheru pointed out.  
"He looks scary in it," Usopp argued.  
"It's called intimidating," Reecheru disagreed. "And he makes it look really good."  
"Good to know," Zoro glanced at her. They all turned back to look at the posters. Luffy's was centered at the top. The other posters were in two rows of five beneath it. Everyone's bounty has gone up with more recent photos. Then there was the addition of Reecheru's picture and Merissa's.  
"Why is Zoro in Reecheru's poster?" Usopp asked. Everone took a closer look. While Reecheru dominated the paper, Zoro was seen not far from her. On the bottom was a caption explaining the reason. 'WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE! PALE-EYED REECHERU, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION. Unable to obtain photo of Pale Eyed Reecheru without Pirate Hunter nearby. Suspect of relationship with Pirate Hunter. If both are captured together the reward will be increased by another hundred million.' The picture showed an image Reecheru as she was looking around. All eyes were drawn to the pale, almost milky, pupil-less eyes that she had when using Byakugan.  
"So instead of getting four hundred and seventy million they'll get five hundred and seventy if they're caught together?" Robin put a hand to her chin. "That would make the two of you more of a prize then Luffy."  
Luffy, hearing the news slumped his shoulders and went to sulk. "Merissa has a poster too," Franky pointed out.  
'DEMON EYED MERISSA, NINETY-FIVE MILLION.' The picture that was on display was of Merissa using the Sharingan.  
"When did they take that?" Merissa asked. "I would have seen if someone got that close to me."  
"Perhaps it's a long range snail camera," Usopp pointed out. "Either way, this is bad news for me. My bounty is two hundred million."  
"Why the hell is yours higher than mine?" Franky demanded.  
"I suppose it's because Usopp is the actual one to reveal the navy had basically turned it's back on Dressrosa," Merissa said. "They might hold a grudge against him for that."  
"Two hundred million and you say might?" Usopp snapped.  
"Sanji's poster is strange," Robin interrupted. "His is the only poster that says 'WANTED ONLY ALIVE'. Doesn't anyone else find this strange?" None of the men answered, but Reecheru and Merissa voiced their agreement.  
"Typical men," Merissa groaned.

 _ **AN: Sorry this is short, but I felt that this was a good place to end it. Especially considering the direction it's going to take next. The next chapter starts the arc revolving around the ninja Straw Hats. This is not affiliated in any way with the manga or anime. It's a story arc coming out of two very disturbed minds. I hope that you'll all enjoy it. Unfortunately, I have no idea when I'll be able to begin work on it. With Christmas coming, I'll be helping my parents prepare dinner for Christmas dinner since myself, my brother with his daughter and my sister with her family will all be gathered. Everyone reading this might want to be afraid. I fear that Armageddon might happen as a result. I also have to get a Christmas Special out for my first posting on One Piece genre, Nunya Bizniz. If you've been following that story too, please look forward to it. If I'm not able to post anything in this story until after Christmas then I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Stay safe out there!**_


	32. Supply Run

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Thirty-one: Supply Run

As the main half of the Straw Hats traveled with the Bortolomeo Club things got a little strange for Reecheru and Merissa. The Bortolomeo Club was fascinated and in awe of them. They had plenty of time oogling Robin and Nami's wanted posters, but two new female Straw Hats was a new concept for the fangirl crew. One of the men had come up to Merissa and started petting her hair. She whipped around in a flash, faster then any were prepared for. The man found his shoulders pinned to the wall behind him by kunai stabbed into his shirt. A third kunai was pressed to his throat and Merissa stared deep into his eyes. Her Sharingan was active in a further attempt to scare the crew. "Touch me again and Captain Fangirl will be looking for another fangirl lacky to fill your position," she hissed. The Club members stayed as far away from her as they could after that.

So now all their attention turned to Reecheru. She ignored the stares and comments for the most part. They started regarding her as the elegant, polite one. Merissa had to snort when she heard them talking. After Merissa's outburst it took the club a full day to work up the nerve to get a close-up look at Reecheru since the two were always in close proximity. It took another day for one to try and talk to her. That man's hand was nearly broken when Zoro stopped in from touching her shoulder. It was the shoulder that was recently injured, so Zoro viewed it as protecting one of his fellow crewmembers from further injury.

"Can't you see she's wearing a sling?" he growled. "Did it ever cross any of your minds that you could hurt her or set back her healing progress?" The man whimpered, offered apologies and slinked away as he cradled his hand. Zoro turned around to Reecheru facing him, left hand on her hip and tapping her foot. "What?" he asked.

"I was already turning around to see what he wanted when you interfered," Reecheru lectured. "There was no need to rush to my defense like that. I might not be able to use my arm, but I still have my senses about me. He wouldn't have touched me because there wouldn't have been a need. If you and Merissa keep up this threatening of Bortolomeo's crew then they'll likely dump us here in the ocean and sail away."

Zoro shrugged his shoulders carelessly. He doubted that would happen, not with the way that Bortolomeo practically worshipped the ground that Luffy walked on. ' _Nevermind_ ', Zoro thought to himself. ' _I know it won't happen because he DOES worship Luffy_.' Clearing his thoughts, Zoro focused on Reecheru. "So you're telling me that you like all these, what did Merissa call them? Fangirls? You would prefer that they bothered you constantly?"

"That's not what I'm saying," Reecheru objected. "There are better ways of handling a situation then breaking someone's hand. Violence isn't always the answer. Don't get me wrong, some guys really need an ass whooping, but not when they're trying to be friendly."

"Over friendly is more like," Merissa put in. "You didn't see the look on that guys face as he got closer. I have the distinct feeling that he was going to ask you to sign either his chest or some other body part, if you catch my drift."

Reecheru turned blue as she looked at Merissa. She turned back to Zoro and gave a quick bow. "I'm sorry I lectured you," she back pedaled. "Go ahead and keep scaring these fangirls away from us." Zoro gave a chuckle and settled down close to where the two women were standing. He patted the space next to him, indicating that Reecheru should sit.

"I'll go see what Robin is up to," Merissa offered. She left the couple alone as she started searching the ship. The crew parted ways for her to walk past.

Reecheru settled next to Zoro and leaned into his shoulder as he put an arm around her shoulder. "I've got to admit," Reecheru said. "I've always relied on myself when it came to fending off men. It's a new experience for me to have someone that I can turn to besides Merissa and Sabo."

"I can understand Merissa," Zoro processed. "But where does Luffy's brother fit in?"

"He trained in our village for a few years," Reecheru explained. "Part of the training to become full fledged ninja is to be placed on a team with two other of your peers. Most of the time you're around the same age. The three of us, Merissa, Sabo and I, were placed in the same team. We had to work together on missions. It was essential that we learned how to rely on and trust in each other."

Zoro nodded his head in understanding. Then he grinned at Reecheru as he looked down at her. "Speaking of training," he said. "How about we get started? You need to help me build a tolerance to pressure points."

"Why do I need to do that?" Reecheru asked. "If I did that I would lose my advantage over you."

"Do you think you need one?" Zoro leaned closer.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Reecheru held her ground as he drew closer. "All women need an advantage," she reasoned. "Didn't you know, love is war?"

Zoro stopped in his advancement. "What did you say?"

Reecheru blinked and thought back on her words. She paled as she realized what she had let slip. "I didn't mean that," she said.

"So you don't love me?" Zoro accused.

"I didn't say that!" Reecheru started turning red in the face. Zoro had caught her words and now was twisting them. She hadn't meant to tell Zoro so soon, but... Reecheru brought her left hand up and put her fingers against Zoro's lips to stop him from talking. "I didn't want to say something so soon after we officially became a couple," she admitted. "I had thought I would have more time. I don't know how you feel about everything and I don't want to scare you away. The truth is that, yes I do love you. At least I think that I do. I've never been in love before so I have nothing to compare it to. If it makes you uncomfortable then I understand and we'll just go on like nothing happe..."

Reecheru never got to finish her statement. Zoro took her hand from his lips. He then finished closing the distance and kissed her fiercely. After a moment he pulled away, satisfied by the dazed look in Reecheru's eyes. He opened his mouth to say something when a call from the lookout interrupted him. "LAND HOOOOOO!"

The pounding of feet was their only warning. Luffy came rushing past the two of them. He paused long enough to grab Zoro on the collar of his shirt and put a hand around Reecheru's good shoulder. He dragged them with him as he went to the front of the ship. He was jumping up and down like a kid in a candy store. "Let's go there," he decided.

"You heard Luffy-senpai," Bortolomeo ordered. "Make for that island."

"Straw Hat-ya!" Luffy turned at the yell to see Law storming up to them. "We don't have time to make a stop," Law said. "We have to get to Zou as soon as possible."

"Didn't you say there was no telling how long it would take us to reach Zou?" Robin asked thoughtfully. "It wouldn't hurt to stop at the island. I'm sure that the supplies are running low at this point."

Bortolomeo looked back to one of the members of his club. The man simply shrugged his shoulders, having no idea. "How you people managed to survive this long is beyond me," Merissa sighed. "Luckily for you I have no desire to die of starvation. The answer to Robin's question is 'yes, we are running low'. Stopping at the island is in our best interest."

"I don't believe this," Law growled. "I'll say it again, we don't have time to waste. If we have to, we'll stop for supplies. But that's it, we'll stay only long enough for that."

"You don't get a say on this ship," Bortolomeo dismissed Law. "If Luffy-senpai wants to stay all day then we will." As they got closer a cloud was noticed rising from the other side of the island. "That's really strange. Can islands make clouds like that?"

"Don't be stupid," Usopp hit his head. Instead of getting angry, Bortolomeo gushed about how it was an honor to be 'touched' by one of the Straw Hats.

"It's most likely a volcano," Robin stated calmly. "Judging by the color of the smoke, it's just steam. Though that does suggest that there is some expossed magma in the crater. That means that it's active."

"Does that mean it's going to blow up?" Usopp asked timidly.

"That's not likely," Robin appeased. "By the looks of the island, it's highly possible that the volcano is constantly letting off a flow of lava. Since there's no fires in the highly grown and healthy looking forest then it's flowing on the opposite side of us and into the ocean."

"Oh that's good," Usopp sighed. "I would hate to be on this island if it blows up."

"You wouldn't live long enough to know if it had," Merissa grinned evilly. "The initial blast of a volcano gives off a 'cloud' full of super heated rock and ash. You'll be cooked and made into a statue in an instant." Usopp's knees started trembling.

"Quit scaring him," Reecheru rolled her eyes. She put her hand on Usopp's shoulders. "That kind of event only happens with volcanos that are sealed." She nodded toward the peak of the volcano. "With the amount of steam coming off of it, it's not a sealed volcano. You don't have to worry about the 'cloud'." Usopp visibly relaxed at her comforting words. "But that doesn't mean you'll survive if it does decide to blow." Usopp was once again shaking in fear.

"Now who's scaring him?"

The 'Going Luffy-senpai' maneuvered closer to the island. There were no cliffs close-by that could be seen or rivers to float up. The ship anchored a ways away from shore. The landing party then had to use the life boats to get to shore. Those going ashore were all of the Straw Hat crew. Usopp was guilted into coming because of his 'adoring' fans. They fully believed that he was a true Warrior of the Sea now. Merissa explained to Robin and Reecheru everything they were going to need.

Robin handed out a list of supplies for each person to gather. Luffy was given some barrels and told to find fresh water. The stretchy captain whined about that at first. Merissa conned him into it by saying trying to find fresh water would be an adventure in and of itself. Zoro was in charge of hunting, naturally. Merissa and Usopp would gather fruit and vegetables. Franky would search for building material suitable for patching the worn looking spots on Bortolomeo's ship. Robin and Reecheru would look to see if there was a village nearby for them to purchase their supplies rather than have to go through the trouble of searching. If a village was found then they would get in touch with everyone using the baby snails. Law also went to the island, but he opted to stay by the boat. He refused to be handed menial jobs, especially when he viewed this landing as a waste of time.

Once the boat was close enough to shore Luffy grabbed his two barrels and was rushing down the beach and into the forest. Everyone else got out of the ship at a more sated pace. "Hold on a second Zoro," Reecheru called him over. She was standing next to Merissa. Merissa was wearing a 'I know something you don't' smirk. It made Zoro a little leery. He approached and watched as Merissa acted as Reecheru's hand. The two went through several hand gestures and a puff of smoke appeared in Reecheru's hand.

The smoke dissipated to reveal a small bird. The bird flew up and landed on Zoro's shoulder. "What is this?" he asked.

"For when you get lost," Merissa pointed out. "I convinced Reecheru it would be a good idea for you to be able to find your way back to the ship."

"I don't get lost," Zoro snapped.

Usopp walked past with a couple of sacks. "Yes you do," he disagreed. He handed half the sacks he held to Merissa. The two of them then disappeared into the woods as well.

Zoro glared after them with a heated look. "Don't think of it as a lack of trust in you," Reecheru placated. "That bird is trained for many purposes. It's keyed into my chakra levels. If I get into a bind it will alert you and lead you right to me."

"Is that right?" Zoro looked back at her. "If you're in trouble? Are you saying it's a possibility?"

"I always get into trouble," Reecheru grinned. "Most of it is my own doing. But it's mostly for fun. Seelai, the bird, won't lead you in that case. It's only if my chakra disappears from his senses or they increase dramatically, like a fight. When you want to find me, just let him know and he'll bring you to me. That's after you've finished hunting."

"So if you're not in trouble this bird will still bring me to you?" Zoro asked.

"As long as you ask him to," Reecheru confirmed. "Otherwise it'll be like he isn't even there."

"Why not bring me to the ship?" Zoro looked confused.

"Seelai isn't tuned to any other chakra signiture," Reecheru explained. "He's not a dog so he can't smell his way back. He has to rely on his other senses. Because I'm the only one he's familiar with he'll come to me."

"So he's a glorified pet," Zoro reasoned. The bird on his shoulder pecked him in the neck. "Oi!"

"I wouldn't call him a pet," Reecheru smiled. "He's highly intellegent. He's more like a clever travelling companion. Just cater to his ego and you'll be fine." The bird made some chirping noises, as if yelling at Reecheru. "You have an ego and don't deny it. The way you constantly clean your feathers until they shine is proof enough." Reecheru patted Zoro on the opposite shoulder in 'farewell' as she rushed to catch up to Robin.

Merissa rubbed at her head in frustration. She could feel a headache coming on. Usopp was scared of every little thing in the forest. Random twigs breaking had him hiding behind her back, demanding to know what that was. When the twigs snapped upon entering the forest Merissa blamed it on him. Usopp had looked down to see a broken stick on either side of his foot. Two minutes later it happened again. Merissa didn't say anything, instead she pointed to the left. Zoro was walking past them and not paying attention to his footing.

They were in the forest for a half hour and Merissa counted Usopp had been spooked seven times. "You're worse than a mouse," she accused. One of Merissa's bags had a few wild vegetables in it. Usopp hadn't gathered anything yet. He was too busy being scared. "You really need to stop freaking over every little thing."

"This is the New World," Usopp snapped. "In case you've forgotten that. We just got away from a huge war in Dressrosa. My bounty has gone up so much, every bounter hunter from here to the East Blue is going to be after my head."

"Only the strong ones," Merissa smirked. "You know, the ones that are likely to be able to go toe to toe with Zoro and Luffy." Usopp turned blue at this news. "You might get lucky and a few weaklings might try their hand. You're not exactly known has the strongest. Up until recently you had the third lowest bounty of the crew. People are going to recognize that and start wondering about it. It's not like the Government makes a habit of gathering accurate information and the people, especially bounty hunters, know this."

"You're not making me feel any better," Usopp monotoned.

"I wasn't trying to," Merissa stated. "If you're looking for a sympathetic ear you've come to the wrong person. We've all got our problems. Also, if we're attacked you're on your own. I'm used to fighting in a team where everyone carries their own weight. I won't treat you any different because you're a coward."

"Way to slap a guy in the face."

"I'm being honest with you," Merissa pointed out. "How can people grow and better themselves if they can't trust those around them to be honest? You just need to stop worrying over every little thing. I'm sure your stress level will go down. Your blood pressure will thank you as well. Now quit being a worry wort and help me look."

"But what if..."

"What if the sun fell out of the sky and all the islands everywhere sunk?" Merissa interrupted. "It's pointless to think of the possibilities. Go ahead and prepare for them, it never hurts to be prepared. But stop worrying about them." Merissa then looked pointedly at her half full bag and his bag that still had nothing. "If you don't start helping me and look for food then you're going to be carrying it all back to the beach and you better keep up with my pace."

"You're cruel."

Merissa shrugged at him. "I've done worse training exercises. Consider yourself lucky if I don't add giant rocks to the bags."

Luffy was running through the trees with a giant grin on his face. He held both empty water barrels on his shoulders so that his head was practically squished by them. This made him appear like some sort of hairless monkey that was baring it's teeth at people. The only way you could tell that it was actually a human was because of his clothes. He was humming his favorite song as he looked for some water. The only thing he had to go by was Zoro telling him to find water that didn't taste like salt.

He soon came to a pool of water. A stream was trickling into it from one end and left through another stream toward the beach. With a nod of accomplishment, Luffy lowered the barrels onto the ground. He popped the top off of one and began to fill it. He was just starting to fill the second one when he felt it. Several people were advancing on him quickly. He filled the barrels with water and set them to the side.

As Luffy stood to his full height, hand on his hat, men wearing nothing except what Luffy viewed as underwear and leaves surrounded him. They all had spears and were pointing them at Luffy menacingly. "I'm in a little bit of a rush," Luffy stated calmly. "I have to hurry and get this back to the ship so we can meet up with the rest of my nakama. I don't have time to play with all of you right now."

Zoro looked left and then right. He was trying to figure out where the best place to hunt would be. "I don't suppose you could help me find something to hunt and bring back," he looked at the bird Reecheru had given him. The small thing ruffled it's feathers and then settled back on Zoro's shoulder, seemingly asleep. "I just know this thing is going to be trouble." Zoro started walking forward again. He never noticed he stepped right over a snare trap.

Usopp sputtered as he got a cloth sack right in the face. "What was that for!?" he demanded. He grabbed the sack and yanked it off, causing his nose to bounce at the motion.

"If you don't get your butt in gear we'll be out here all night," Merissa snapped. She pointed to three sacks full of fruit and vegetables. "I've already filled all three of mine and now I'm working on filling yours too. You're already carrying all the sacks back to the ship. If you don't fill up at least two of your own then I'm adding rocks to the load."

"Why did I have to get stuck with you as my partner?" Usopp lamented. "Reecheru or Robin wouldn't make me carry that much."

"I'll agree with you on the Robin part," Merissa smirked. "But if you think that Reecheru would go easy on you for this because she's more mild mannered than I am you've got another thing coming to you."

"What do you mean by that?" Usopp gulped.

"I mean of the two of us," Merissa held up a hand and rose a finger with each point. "She's more violent than I am. You think I'm bad, piss her off sometime. Her quiet demeanor gives her more time to think of torture... I mean, training methods than I do. I can't tell you how many times I've had to save her from the brink of death, JUST FROM TRAINING! She's so unassuming that she makes the perfect spy. What did you think the two of us have been doing to the World Government since we left the village? All those pranks we've been pulling on the Bortolomeo Club?"

"You mean the itching powder in their drawers?" Usopp counted off. "The briefs tied to the mast instead of their Jolly Rodger? And the salt replacing the sugar?"

"Those are the only ones you know about," Merissa's eyebrows wiggled up and down. "Anyway, all her ideas. I go along because I enjoy a good laugh. So next time you think she'll go easier on you remember this at the very least... A woman that sits in silence is more often than not planning your funeral."

"Got it," Usopp fell to his knees and started digging up plants more quickly than before. He was stopped when Merissa pulled him up suddenly. "What's your deal!?" he snapped. "First you force me to work harder and now your stopping m..." He was cut off by Merissa putting a hand over his mouth. Upon closer inspection, he noticed Merissa's Sharingan was active.

"We're not alone," she whispered.

Franky found a large tree that had a strong and sturdy core. "This looks like a good place to look," he grinned. Franky started searching the parameter of the tree. He was looking for strong and sturdy branches that had fallen off resently. Out of respect for the wood that kept his ship afloat and fixed, he liked to use wood that had been lost off due to natural means or by really harsh weather.

It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for. He had two large branches that looked like they had been struck by lightning at one end. They had probably been really close to each other since they were close on the ground. Franky hefted them onto his shoulders and turned to head back.

Standing in front of him were a bunch of men with less clothing than he had on. They had spears for weapons that they pointed at him. "Can I help you with something?"

Robin and Reecheru had walked a distance in silence. Both were keeping an eye on their surroundings. "I find it odd," Robin suddenly stated. "This island has a mild climate and plenty of fauna and fertile soil. Yet I don't see any signs of a village. We've been following this wild animal path into the center of the island for a while. There should be signs of village hunters or something else to tell us which direction to travel in."

"Could it have something to do with the volcano we spotted on the other side of the island?" Reecheru asked. "It was smoking and looked fairly active. Perhaps people don't want to take the risk of settling here."

"That's why it seems odd," Robin continued. "I've known plenty of islands with thriving and modern villages. Some of them have even lived in peace for generations without the worry of the volcano. What makes this one so different? There must be some logical explanation as to why no one built a home of some kind here."

The rustling of leaves stopped both women in their tracks. "There's no wind," Reecheru whispered. She reached into her pouch for a kunai. Her Byakugan activated and she glanced around. "We're surrounded," she continued to whisper.

"By what?" Robin asked as she took her battle pose.

"Humans," Reecheru answered. Robin glanced at her quickly. Her attention went back to their surroundings when a large shadow loomed over them.

 _ **I hope that everyone had a pleasant Christmas! It was a little crazy on my end. Helping my mom cook was something I had expected. My sister coming over early in the morning with her sons because she has no power, not expected. My mom and I had to prepare everything for Christmas dinner while also helping watch the boys. Two toddlers that get into everything and a kitchen with oven and stove blasting. Kept us on our toes, that's for sure. So over 11,000 people were without power in my state this Christmas. On Christmas Eve it was over 15,000. Not to mention flooding and other natural disasters going on around the nation, it's just a crazy Christmas this year. My sister and brother-in-law were told not to expect power until Sunday at earliest. Most likely, because they're in a suburb, it won't be back on until Monday. My parents loaned them one of their generators to help them get through until the power comes back. Thank goodness for family and being able to help. Well, sorry for ranting like that. I just felt I needed to get that off of my chest. Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Merry Christmas and if I don't post anything before then: HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_


	33. Handicaps Suck

**AN: So obviously I haven't updated in a while. In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to update again. For the last two and a half months I've been on restrictions from my doctor for hand movement. My thumb is constantly in pain. So much so that I can't type, write or play my video games. The doctor won't even let me use scissors for crying out loud. So I'll be on my way to visit the hand surgeon in a week. Hopefully they'll sort this whole mess out and I'll be back to writing on a regular basis. Normally it takes me a half a day to write a chapter, depending on the length. Due to pain, this chapter took me three days. I'm posting this as way of an apology and explanation to everyone. I hope you all enjoy and bear with me as I try to get my hand back in shape.**

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Thirty-two: Handicaps Suck

Luffy stared down the group of underdressed men. Four of them were in front of him and there were two waiting in the bushes nearby. Most likely they were looking to ambush him. But, being able to use Haki, Luffy easily pinpointed where all of his opponents were. He waited in silence for the first one to make a move.

With a battle cry, the man in front charged first. His spear was lowered and aimed for Luffy's legs. It seemed strange to Luffy that he would attack and not go for a kill shot. Not wanting the man to get too close, Luffy let loose a punch. The man flew backwards twenty feet before slamming into a tree. He fell to the ground and remained motionless. The other three charged at Luffy together. Using his whip attack, Luffy knocked them off of their feet as well. Arrows came from the bushes next. Using Observation Haki, Luffy easily dodged those. Another two punches and the attackers were all down.

Luffy adjusted his straw hat and picked up the barrels of water. He walked past the prone bodies and started humming his favorite song once again. He wasn't the least bit concerned with what happened to them.

Franky raised his sunglasses off of his eyes to look at the men in front of him. They started throwing their spears at him. Instead of dodging, Franky took the full assault straight on. The wooden spears bounced off of his cyborg body without leaving so much as a scratch. "So that's how you want to play it?" Franky lowered his glasses and the missiles on his shoulders raised in preparation. The men had already become wary when their weapons didn't work. Now that they see Franky's body change shape, even a little, sweat started boring from their brows. Franky let out a smirk and did a pose. "SUPER!" The yell frightened the natives so much that they fled in fear. Franky shrugged his shoulders as his missile launchers lowered. He picked up the wood he had gathered earilier and started to head back for the lifeboat.

The majority of the natives attacked Usopp. They were trying to take the male out first. "Their mistake," Merissa smirked. Using their distraction to her advantage, Merissa was able to take out more than half of the attackers. All Usopp did was try to put some distance between himself and them.

The natives switched their focus to Merissa, perceiving her as the bigger threat now. That suited Usopp just fine. He maintained a distance and started firing on the natives that weren't too close to Merissa. He didn't want her to get caught in the crossfire. To end the fight quickly, Merissa focused on luring the attackers into a group position. Once they were close enough she let loose a fireball jutsu while Usopp added his own attacks. The result was a bit surprising for both of them. Merissa expected her attack to burn them and Usopp expected a slight explosion. What actually happened was that the explosion pushed the targets into the air and away from the two pirates. "Gotta remember that one," Usopp said in stunned awe.

"No kidding," Merissa fully agreed.

Reecheru and Robin stood back to back. "Well isn't this just a kick in the teeth?" Reecheru said sarcastically. "Didn't think we would meet the locals from the business end of their weapons."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Robin smiled. "We are pirates after all. You should probably get used to it by now."

"Noted," Reecheru dodged a spear. She calculated that it wasn't a kill attack, but it still would have hurt like a bitch. Before the attacker pulled his weapon back Reecheru grabbed the spear with her left hand and pulled. The man stumbled forward and Reecheru kneed him in the gut and then sent an uppercut to his jaw after letting go of the spear.

Robin began her attack as well. Several of the natives were extremely surprised to find a number of arms growing from various areas of their body and grabbing them. "Clutch," Robin sweetly said with an innocent smile. The natives let out cries of pain as their bodies bent backwards in unnatural angles.

Reecheru returned to have her back facing Robin. "More of them just keep coming out of the woods," she pointed out.

"I would imagine because we're so close to the village," Robin reasoned. "They could be attacking because we're trespassing."

"When we survive this I'll send them an apology letter along with a gift basket."

Robin lets out a giggle, imagining that any gift basket sent by either Reecheru or Merissa would most likely be a bomb. The jesting ended when the attackers started to press in and attack the two women at once. "They are persistant," Robin pointed out.

"Yeah," Reecheru rolled her eyes. "I hate that in my enemy." She was quick to notice that the natives were attempting to approach her from the right. "Well, it seems like they've discovered I'm not exactly up to fighting form."

Robin glanced back to see what she was talking about. "I think you're fighting quite well, despite having an obvious handicap. I particularly enjoyed how you pulled that first attacker right into your knee first."

Reecheru let out a light chuckle as she spun and elbowed the closest enemy in the face with her good arm. "It's a common self-defense technique," Reecheru explained. "First there's the initial block, then you grab the offending limb or weapon. As you pull in you ready your own counter attack. By the time the opponent reaches you, you're ready to deliver."

"Very useful knowledge," Robin nodded. "Spank!" Several of the enemies had arms grow out of their shoulders and started smacking their faces around.

"Tch," Reecheru moved to where she was pressed against Robin again. "This is getting kind of bad," she said. "There seems to be no end to them. For every one we knock out two more seem to replace him."

"It's a standard strategy," Robin said. "Even if your opponent out classes you, which we seem to have the upper hand, it doesn't matter against sheer numbers. If they keep pressing us we'll eventually tire and be over run."

"So you're saying a retreat would be beneficial right about now."

"If we manage to find or make an opening."

Zoro continued his disoriented walk through the woods. He stopped every now and then to get a look at his surroundings and then start walking once again. Only each time it would be in a different direction. Without warning, Seelai launched himself from Zoro's shoulder. He circled above Zoro's head twice and started flying deeper into the woods. Zoro ran after the bird, remembering that Reecheru had told him that the bird would only react without his order if something was happening to her.

Merissa and Usopp made it to the landing boat first. They stowed away the vegetable and fruit bags towards the back. Law was looking out into the forest with his brow furrowed. He then turned to the new arrivals. "Anything happen?" he asked.

"Just the usual," Merissa shrugged. "You know, scavenging for food, getting a headache from Usopp's random freak outs..."

"HEY!"

"And getting attacked by the locals in their underwear."

Law turned his gaze back to the forest. "Then that's what all of the noise has been."

"You didn't think to go and look in on us?" Merissa raised an eyebrow.

Law looked down on her. "Are you saying that you needed my help?"

"You wish."

"I wouldn't have formed this alliance with Straw Hat-ya if I didn't think he or his crew could handle a few primitives." Law looked off to the other side of the beach. Franky was just coming out of the forest with two large logs over each of his shoulders.

"Those are some big trees," Usopp commented.

"More wood the better," Merissa smiled. "That ship was in pretty rough shape. Not a single one of Fangirl's crew know what they're doing. They'll last longer on the sea once Franky fixes up their ship a little."

Franky dropped the logs on the beach and posed. "SUPER!"

"That's great Franky," Usopp nodded. "But one question for you. How are we supposed to get them to the ship?"

With so many natives attacking at once it wasn't long before Robin and Reecheru found themselves split apart. The two fought as they tried to clear away a path of escape. Robin glanced over her shoulder when she heard stones shift. She was at the edge of a cliff. Sharp rocks and strong waves were at the bottom. She turned back to the natives just in time to feel one of them shoulder her in the stomach. Losing her footing, Robin felt herself fall from the cliff. "Spider Net!" Arms extended from the cliff. Some formed a type of foundation for the other arms to latch onto. Robin's arms caught her gently.

"ROBIN!" Reecheru's shout was heard.

"I'M FINE!" Robin called back. She rushed to climb her way back to the top of the cliff. When she managed to peak her head over the edge no one was there. Robin's eyes widened in a panic as she rushed to stand on solid ground. She looked all around the area they had fought in, but there was no trace of human life in the area. The only evidence anyone had been there were the large number of footprints and several damaged trees. All evidence that a fierce battle had taken place here.

Reecheru watched was Robin was forcefully pushed over the edge of a cliff. With a kunai in her left hand, she brought the hilt down on the head of the native that just tried to tackle her. She did a back kick to give herself some space and time. She then bolted for the cliff. If nothing else, she could probably join Robin and the two could escape that way. Reecheru barely registered a group of five jumping at her from the left. She moved to dodge, only to find herself dodging right into another group that were waiting on her right.

As Reecheru struggled to free herself from them her left arm was pinned and tied behind her back. Using her last resort, Reecheru struck out with her legs. Those were quickly restrained as well. One of the larger natives tossed Reecheru over his shoulder and started running. "ROBIN!" she called out. She heard Robin respond and if her arm wasn't restrained she would have hit herself on the forehead.

Reecheru made to yell back, only for a cloth of unknown origin to find it's way into her mouth. 'I hope they washed this thing.' She could only watch as the other natives quickly gathered their fallen comrades and disappear into the forest from different directions. It wasn't long before her vision of the battlefield was blocked out by thick foilage.

Robin searched the ground, looking for a clue as to the direction that Reecheru had disappeared to. A noise in the bushes had her immediately on guard. A bird flew into the clearing, only to be followed by Zoro charging through the brush. "What happened?" he asked. He took a look around and back to Robin. "Where's Rae?"

"We were ambushed," Robin answered. "They separated us and took her."

Zoro didn't wait around for long. The bird hadn't stopped, showing it was still following it's summoner. "I've got to follow that chicken," he growled.

"I'll go and get the others," Robin nodded. She watched as the bird and Zoro disappeared out of sight. "Now, at least, I have a general idea of where they took her." Robin then rushed back towards the beach. She needed to be closer for her technique to work.

Luffy sat on one of the barrels he brought back to the lifeboat. "This is so boring," he whined. He glanced over towards Merissa. She was helping Franky finish a makeshift barge for the ship supplies. "Why can't I go look for more guys to fight?"

"Because we don't have time Straw Hat-ya," Law snapped. "As soon as the other teams arrive we'll be heading out."

"It shouldn't take too much longer," Merissa appeased. "At least not on the part of Rae and Robin. I'm betting they're on their way back and will be here at any moment."

The group waited for another five minutes. "I'm going for a walk," Luffy announced. He stopped when the bushes moved. Robin's torso grew out from the ground in front of the rustling bush. "AAAAHHH!" Luffy's hands went to the top of his head. "ROBIN'S BEEN CUT IN HALF!"

Law had a tick by his eye at that point. Merissa just shook her head. "It's fine Luffy," she stated calmly. "That's just her Devil Fruit ability. No doubt to tell us they're on the way with Zoro in tow."

"Actually," Robin started a bit hesitantly.

"I'm going to kill her," Merissa immediately growled.

"I haven't said anything yet," Robin blinked.

"No need to," Merissa started to walk to the woods. "She's caused some sort of trouble, no doubt. Now I'll have to go and clean up her mess. Just like on Punk Hazard. Girl was knocked out for most of that."

"Maybe we should hear what Robin has to say first," Franky suggested.

Luffy got right up in Robin's face. "So what's going on?" he asked.

"Reecheru has been abducted by the natives," Robin reported. "Zoro and Seelai are chasing after her now." Robin's torso then pointed in a certain direction deeper into the forest. "I'm in that direction, a short distance from where I lost Reecheru." Robin then pointed in a direction slightly off from the first. "Seelai flew in that direction followed by Zoro. I think that's where the native village is and where Rae is being taken."

"Robin," Usopp said nervously. "That's the direction of the volcano."

"I know Usopp," Robin admitted. "I'm afraid that's all the information I have right now. I can wait for you here or start following after Zoro."

"Follow Zoro," Merissa said. "We'll track you down." The torso disappeared and Merissa turned to face everyone. "Franky and Usopp should take the supplies back to the ship." Usopp let out a sigh of relief. "Luffy and I will go join the fight."

Luffy pounded a fist into his palm. "Now we're talking adventure," he grinned.

Merissa turned to look at Law. "You can do whatever you like. Although it would go a lot fast with you there."

"The faster we finish this the sooner we can leave," Law stated.

Reecheru felt herself get thrown through the air. She felt a static shock run through her as she closed her eyes to brace for impact. She landed on the ground, hard. After a few minutes of trying to regain her breath, Reecheru finally rolled into a somewhat sitting position. With her one good arm and legs bound it was difficult. She blinked as she noticed she was staring into a dark cavern. Reecheru looked back and her eyes widened in shock. A sort of blue, transparent wall blocked the exit. On the other side was a large group of natives.

An elderly man stood at the front and observed her. Satisfied he motioned to other natives towards the back of the group. Two other men walked up. They each had a bound native girl over their shoulders. They threw the two towards the cavern opening. Instead of being thrown past the barrier, as Reecheru had been, they were abruptly stopped and dropped to the ground. The two groaned in pain. They were gathered and rushed away. The elder sent a glare Reecheru's way then led the rest away from the cavern.

It wasn't long before Reecheru found herself alone. Using her left shoulder and a lot of gagging she finally got the thing out of her mouth. Reecheru then scooted towards the opening. When she came to the 'barrier' she pushed against with as much strength as she could in her position. It didn't even flicker from the effort. For some reason it only allowed one person to pass through the cave entrance, but not out.

 _"HOW PRIMITIVE."_

The deep voice had Reecheru whip around and start looking around wildly for the source.

 _"I WAKE UP FROM MY NAP, CAUSE A MOUNTAIN TO SHAKE AND SMOKE, THEN THOSE FOOLS THINK THE WORLD IS GOING TO END. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE IS THAT THEY THINK A SACRIFICE CAN APPEASE ME."_

"Who's there?" Reecheru demanded.

The voice let out a chuckle. _"I CAN SEE THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED AFTER A FEW GENERATIONS."_ A red claw reached out through the darkness and cut Reecheru's bindings for her. _"THOUGH THEY'RE FOOLS, THOSE NATIVES DID ME A GREAT FAVOR. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BRING ME THE EXACT PERSON I NEEDED TO TRAIN. OR, TO BE MORE PRECISE, ONE OF THE THREE THAT I NEED TO TRAIN."_

"You haven't answered my question," Reecheru pointed out.

 _"COME CLOSER INSIDE MY DEN AND YOU'LL KNOW."_

"No offense," Reecheru had a disbelieving look on her face. "You just admitted that they dropped me here as a sacrifice to you. How do I know you don't plan on eating me?"

 _"I HAVEN'T EATEN HUMAN FLESH SINCE THE FOURTH STOPPED ME FROM RAMPAGING THE LEAF."_ Reecheru stiffened at the implications. _"I SEE THAT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION. COME IN AND KNOW ME BETTER... BRAT."_ Throwing caution to the wind, Reecheru walked deeper into the cavern. It wasn't long before she lost sight of the opening. She had to rely on her Byakugan to see any further into the cavern.

Zoro followed the bird to a large cave in the side of the volcano. His eye narrowed at the sight of the bird hitting hitself against some type of blue screen in front of the entrance. "She's in there?" he asked. The bird chirped before flying at the barrier again. Zoro put a hand to the barrier and tested it. Nothing happened, it was like pushing a wall.

Zoro drew Sushui and cut at the barrier. If it worked on walls then it would work on a transparent one too. Sadly, his theory didn't work as he hoped. Seelai flew above his head and pecked at him. "Stop it you damn bird," he growled. "It's not like you were getting through either."

Zoro then walked to the edge of the opening. He slashed at the rock this time. The rock fell away, only to reveal more of the blue barrier. Zoro gritted his teeth and drew his remaining two swords. He stood in his Santoryu stance and prepared to attack.

"ZORO!" Zoro stopped and looked behind him. Merissa and Luffy were running up to him. "Did you find Rae?" Luffy asked.

Zoro took Wado out of his mouth to talk clearly. "The damn bird says she's in there," he pointed his thumb behind him to the cave. "But I can't get through this blue wall."

Without hesitation Luffy began to pound on it. "Gum-Gum Gatling!" Merissa and Zoro just stood and watched. Luffy pulled back and the three waited for the dust to disperse. The cavern entrance was larger, but the barrier remained.

"That is interesting," Robin walked up.

"How long have you been there?" Zoro asked.

"Not too long after Luffy and Merissa," Robin smiled. Her look turned serious as she looked at the barrier. "This can't be from Rooster-kun," she mused. "He's back on the ship as well as his technique looks more solid when active. This seems more delicate."

"That's because it's a seal," Merissa stated. All eyes turned to look at her. Merissa pointed to the ground just beyond the barrier. A strange symbol had been carved into the stone. "It's next to impossible to disperse," she explained. "The seal is on the other side of the protection of the barrier."

"Why couldn't it be on this side?" Luffy pouted.

"If it were easy to get to and remove it would be pointless," Merissa rubbed her temple. "At any rate, this is a very specific seal." She moved closer to get a better look at it. "It keeps most things out. But it's not a typical barrier. There's some markings here that I haven't seen before." As she looked inside from a foot away from the barrier, she also activated the sharingan. She hoped to gain a better understanding of the seal. After several minutes she sighed and her eyes returned to normal. "Beyond knowing it's not normal and that it can only be activated under certain conditions, I've got nothing."

"What kind of conditions?" Law asked. He walked through the bushes at that moment.

"If I knew that I would have said," Merissa snapped. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Sorry, it's just a little frustrating. The seal itself is based off ninjutsu, that much I can tell you. But I'm not exactly the expert on seals."

"RAE!" Luffy shouted. "CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" There was no answer.

"You idiot," Zoro snapped. "What if there's a trap? You want to call the forest to us?"

"It's a little late," Law turned around. He braced his sword on his shoulder and stood in his ready stance. An evil smirk spread across his face. "At least now it looks like we have someone that we can interrogate."

"It's no use Tra-kun," Robin said. She had her hands ready. Several of the men were pointing towards her and speaking gibberish. "I highly doubt that they understand our language. Their language seems to be mostly made of simple noises and body language. All I could get out of them earlier was the same noises they're giving off now. However, it seems to be a bit more agressive then before."

"I don't suppose it's because we're trespassing on their hallowed grounds?" Merissa glanced over to the archeologist.

"It's a possibility."

Before any more discussion could take place the natives charged in. "Tch," Zoro scoffed as he stepped forward. "We don't have time to deal with this." He brandished his swords and charged right into the middle of it. "Tell me how to get to Reecheru!"

"That's no fair Zoro," Luffy yelled in anger. "Save some for me to fight!" He then jumped right into the fray.

Robin lowered her guard as Merissa blinked after the two hotheads. "That's what Straw Hat-ya was angry about?" Law relaxed. He rolled his eyes and looked back to the cavern. "With those two as a distraction, perhaps we can actually figure out this barrier and how to get past it."

Merissa let out a whistle. Seelai, who had been pecking at the barrier except when Zoro and Luffy had attacked it, flew down to her. He landed on her shoulder, finally taking a break. Merissa walked up closer to the barrier once again. This time she put her face about an inch away from the actual barrier in an effort to read the seal on the other side. "There seems to be another seal inside the main barrier seal," she stated.

Robin glanced back her and gasped in shock. "Merissa! Look out!"

Merissa looked away from the seal. A part of the barrier expanded in front of her. It wrapped around her wrists like vines with a mind of their own. "WHAT THE HELL!?" Her shout drew the attention of the others. She was on the other side of the barrier before anyone could come to her aid. "That's one hell of an invitation," she growled. "It felt like a short shock of electricity went through me." Merissa looked back to the group she had been separated from. Robin and Law were closer to the barrier. Law had activated his 'room', but it would not enter the barrier. Seelai was flying around their heads, apparently the barrier wouldn't let him through either.

Merissa started looking around the room, trying to find a way out. She could hear Luffy yelling, "You stupid blue thing! Give me back my NAKAMA!" Followed by the shout was a loud bang. Merissa looked back to see Luffy pulling back his fist. She figured that he had just punched the wall.

"With all this noise we've been making," Merissa said thoughtfully. "Why hasn't Reecheru come over here to investigate?"

"Are we certain she's even in there?" Law asked.

Merissa pointed to the frantic bird. "She's at least in this direction," she stated. "If it's the other side of the mountain I'm not sure. The bird might be smart, but not smart enough to go and check around the volcano. I'm not even sure we want to split up at this point. Those natives have proven that they're not exactly friendly."

"No kidding," Luffy growled. He dropped the last of his opponents onto the ground and stormed up to the barrier. He started to pull back his arm, getting ready to through another punch at it again.

"It's useless Straw Hat-ya," Law lectured. "Not even my 'room' was able to reach the other side of the barrier."

"Which makes no sense," Robin mused. "I've been trying to grow limbs on the other side as well, but something is blocking me. I can see inside, but I can't feel what's inside."

Merissa continued her perusal of the surrounding entrance. She froze once she looked up towards the ceiling. "There's more than one seal," she announced. The others stopped arguing and turned to look at her. "But more importantly than that, this cave is claimed."

"What do you mean 'claimed'?" Law asked.

Merissa pointed to her Hitai-ate. "This symbol is carved into the top of the cavern," she announced. "This cave is claimed by some ninja from Konoha." She looked up once again and examined the mark. "It seems a little faded though. The edges rounded and worn down. It looks like those seals have been in place for many years. I would guess that whichever Konoha ninja did this is long since dead."

"You're from Konoha," Robin pointed out. "You're certain that nothing looks familiar to you?"

"I'm not a seal specialist," Merissa murmered. She then turned to look deeper into the cave. "But I know someone who is."

"You mean Rae," Robin observed. Merissa's silence was enough of an answer. "If she recognizes the seals, wouldn't she have stayed to find a way to break them?"

"That all depends," Merissa answered. "All that I really know is that things are extremely complex when it comes to seals. The more they do the more complex they are." Merissa then took a kunai and attacked the first seal that they had noticed from the other side. A similar barrier shined on impact and then disappeared again. Merissa put the kunai away and then touched the seal. "It seems this one protects itself from attacks. So it's safe to say that it isn't dissolved through traditional means. Only an expert on seals will be able to dissolve this."

"That still raises the question of why Rae-ya didn't," Law pointed out.

"She can't make any seals with her hands right now," Merissa explained. "She needs to be able to use both hands to perform basic ninjutsu or genjutsu. Taijutsu, that's a little different. That's just fighting skills without needing to use chakra. It's possible she went in further to look for another exit though."

"Is that really wise?" Robin asked. "We don't know what's in there."

"There's only one way to find out," Merissa straightened her shoulders. "If I'm not back in an hour, go ahead and bring down the mountain."

Luffy gave her a 'thumb up'. "You got it," he smiled.

"Don't agree to that!" Zoro snapped. "You could trap then under a ton of rocks!"

Reecheru sat at a boulder and blinked at the large form lazily spread out on it's side. It was facing her and having a conversation, much quieter than before. _"I wake up after a few years and the island has completely moved away from the village,"_ the creature bemoaned. _"On top of that, a bunch of overly primitive humans take over the place. I give a little stretch when I wake, shake the mountain a little, causing the lava to become exposed, and they think their gods are bringing about the end of the world. So their response, as if to appease my anger, is to send me a female sacrifice."_ The creature started chuckling to itself. _"Though it would appear as if luck is on my side. They send me the descendant of the last human I could tolerate. You also happen to be one of the three ninja I need to have a little chat with. Unfortunately, I can't let you leave until the other two are here as well."_

"I have to say," Reecheru started. "I'm a little awestruck at the moment. The history records state that when my ancestor died the Kyuubi left this world."

 _"Because we all know that writer's tell the whole truth."_

"Point," Reecheru conceded. "I'm just not entirely certain what it is you're expecting from me, or us. The barrier seal, what's up with that?"

 _"That seal was placed there to activate when I woke. What woke me? The chakra of three individuals climbing higher than any other since the last great war. Those three have what it takes to make the contract and start training."_

"Contract with who?" Reecheru asked. "With you?"

 _"Not with me,"_ Kyuubi answered. _"That's all I'll say until the others get here."_

"What others?" Reecheru turned to the new voice. Merissa was rounding a corner, her brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing so deep inside the cave?" She stopped in her tracks and stared. "What the...? One, two, three, four..."

"Nine," Reecheru interrupted. "There are nine tails."

"An illusion?"

 _"Don't insult me Uchiha,"_ Kyuubi growled. _"I'm not so patient with other humans as I am with those from Naruto's line."_

"As you can see," Reecheru stood up. "He's quite real."

"Okay," Merissa turned her attention back to Reecheru. "How did you end up in this place to begin with?"

"Handicaps really suck."


	34. Training the Three

**An update from my last AN. The surgeon wasn't really able to help. The only thing they could do right now is fuse the joint. That would make it so that my finger would no longer move for the rest of my life. Not happening. The next thing that was suggested to me was to quit my job. So I'll be going back to school to change my career skills to something that doesn't require as much hand work as what I do at my current job. So I'll try to update as much as possible between now and when school starts. Holding a job and going to school is time consuming work and I hope everyone understands. Enjoy the update!**

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Thirty-three: Training the Three

 _"So that makes two of the three,"_ Kyuubi let out a yawn. _"I wonder how long it will take for the last to arrive."_

"Three of what?" Merissa asked.

"Apparently of us," Reecheru shrugged. "Kyuubi-sama stated that he needs to talk or train the three ninja responsible for waking him. Since he's made clear I'm one of them and now you, I'm assuming we woke him somehow."

"How?" Merissa furrowed her brows.

 _"Three ninja recently used a large amount of chakra,"_ Kyuubi answered. _"The three of you are needed for more training and to renew the contracts. More I can't say until the last arrives."_

"The only ninja I'm aware of using that much chakra recently are obviously the two of us," Merissa pointed out. "But the other..." She let the statement hang in the air as she handed Reecheru her pack. "You're lucky I picked that up from the forest." A nod was all she received in thanks. Merissa then took a look around. The roof had an abundance of light showing down on them. Merissa couldn't help but wonder how the sunlight filtered in.

Reecheru's eyes widened and she face palmed herself. "I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner." She then began sifting through her pack, looking for something. She found the transponder snail on the bottom, snuggled under her extra clothes. "I hate male snails," she growled. "Damn things like to use my undergarments for blankets." Merissa could be heard snickering in the background. "Oh shut up, like yours are any different." Reecheru then started to use the snail.

"I'm not sure if it will get past the seals on the barrier for the cave," Merissa began. She was referring to the signal from the snail. Though now that the subject was brought up she continued. "By the way, how come you didn't try to dispel them?"

Reecheru looked up and blinked at Merissa. "What seals?"

"You didn't see the seals?"

"Kind of busy being kidnapped," Reecheru snapped. "Not long after I heard a grumpy voice calling me a brat." She motioned with her head toward Kyuubi. "I was kind of distracted at the time."

The two never noticed when the transponder snail stopped ringing, the person on the other side had heard their conversation. "Mind saying that again," a male voice demanded. "What have the two of you gotten into this time?"

Merissa took this chance to answer. "Miss no arm over here," she started.

"It's still there!"

"Decided to let herself be kidnapped..."

"Like hell I let them!"

"Then got trapped in a cave with a barrier that only lets certain individuals in, but not out. Now we're stuck looking into the face of a giant fox. A fox that says we aren't allowed to leave until a third ninja arrives to save our asses."

"Don't make it sound like it's all my fault!"

"And that's why you called me?"

"At least acknowledge I didn't do this on purpose!"

Merissa continued to ignore Reecheru whenever she interrupted the conversation. "You still have our vivre cards so it should be a snap for you to find us."

"What makes you think that I can help?"

"Cause you're the only other ninja that went on a rampage recently," Reecheru said. "At least, that we know of." She had given up on trying to get them to see her side of the story. She was the youngest so she was constantly the odd woman out.

"You guys weren't at sea for very long if you're on an island already."

"It was a bad idea to take the ship we did," Merissa shuddered. "It's a miracle that it and it's crew haven't sunk to the bottom of any of the oceans at this point. They have no decent navigator to speak of and no shipwright to keep them afloat. We had to make a stop somewhere for Franky to make repairs and stock up on supplies. They didn't have enough food to last Luffy an hour."

The male chuckled over the line. "Fine, I'll be there as soon as possible." The snail then fell back asleep.

Reecheru left it on the ground and went to talk to Kyuubi some more. "Aren't you going to put this thing away?" Merissa asked.

"Not in a million years," Reecheru called back. "I'm releasing it to the wild once we get out of this cave. I've had enough of it sniffing my underwear."

An evil smirk spread across Merissa's features. "Or I could tell that man of yours what it's fetish is."

Reecheru paused mid-step, her smirk mirroring Merissa's. "Now there's a thought."

Luffy continuously punched at the barrier in an effort to get inside. Zoro wasn't showing much in the line of restraint either. The clearing around the cave had more then doubled in size with all the trees he was cutting down. He was pacing back and forth as he waited, but because a tree would walk directly into his path he cut it down.

"Aren't you going to stop them Nico-ya?" Law asked. He was leaning against a recently made stump.

"It helps them burn energy," Robin smiled. "It also keeps them alert in case the village decides to send more warriors." Law closed his eyes, accepting her answer.

It wasn't long before the flapping of wings drew their attention. A dark shadow was coming out of the sun, getting larger as it came closer. Luffy and Zoro stopped long enough to see what was going on.

A flock of crows landed next to Luffy. On the backs of two of them sat Sabo. He jumped off and approached the barrier. "So this is what they were talking about," he mused to himself.

"You came back!" Luffy cheered.

"Sabo," Robin said in shock. She walked over to the two brothers. "I thought that you had important business somewhere else."

"I did," Sabo agreed. "But two troublemakers called me and begged me for my help."

"Merissa and Reecheru called you?" Robin asked. "I didn't realize that they had a snail."

"Mostly for emergencies," Sabo nodded. "They really hate using them, let alone carry them around. Which, I'm surprised they actually had one on them this time."

"Why would they hate transponder snails?" Luffy asked. His head was tilted to the side in confusion.

"Well," Sabo scratched his chin. "I'll let them explain it to you." He dodged the question, not wanting to suffer any wrath quite yet. Before anyone could question him further he stepped through the barrier.

"WHAT'S THE DEAL!?" Luffy shouted. "HOW COME IT'S LET YOU THREE THROUGH AND NOT US?"

Sabo surveyed the seals and the cave. "That is a good question," he agreed. "I'm more interested in what this cave is hiding."

"YOU MEAN TREASURE!?" Luffy's eyes sparkled.

"Not the kind of treasure you're thinking," Sabo shook his head. "It's bound to have something with ninjutsu. Wait here for a little longer guys. I'll go and see what's going on." Sabo turned and walked further into the cave.

 _"I don't see the point in such a game,"_ Kyuubi pointed out.

"There isn't a point," Reecheru stated. "It's just a way to pass the time."

"Which we wouldn't need to do if a certain jackass would hurry up and show up," Merissa snapped.

"Now I'm hurt," Sabo's voice sounded way too close. Merissa turned to find him directly behind her. She leapt several feet into the air and let out a panicked shriek. Reecheru started laughing hysterically.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" Merissa grew fangs and yelled at Sabo.

"That was great," Reecheru was still laughing.

 _"If you children are done..."_ Kyuubi stood up. _"I think that it's time for us to begin."_ The three ninjas noticed an altar of sorts had been hidden behind Kyuubi. _"Look for yourselves and see the legacy that's been left for you."_

Reecheru, having conversed with Kyuubi longest, walked forward first. She had no fear he would attack her as she walked under his furry belly. Three of his tails came close to knocking into the altar, but he had control of their motion. Reecheru looked to see what the altar held. "Their scrolls," she spoke loud enough for Sabo and Merissa. She picked up one of the scrolls. It was awkard because the size of the scroll was more than half the size of her torso. She managed to hold it by bracing it against her useless arm and it's sling. It looked almost like she was cradling a small child. "There's three of them."

Sabo and Merissa walked forward then. True to Reecheru's word, two other large scrolls sat on the altar. The two looked at each other and lifted a scroll. Reecheru had already moved off to the side and set her scroll on the cave floor. She was opening it when her eyes widened. "This is the Sennin contract," she whispered.

Merissa and Sabo were quick to open theirs at the statement. They both discovered that all the scrolls were Sennin contracts. "So they weren't lost," Merissa pointed out. "They were just hidden."

"And guarded," Sabo added. "Got to say, that's one helluva guardian." Kyuubi chuckled at their enthusiasm.

"Are we supposed to use these?" Merissa asked.

Kyuubi nodded in agreement. _"This is what I've been waiting these long years for,"_ he said. _"I've been waiting for ninja strong enough to carry on the legacy of their ancestors. Once we're finished here I may finally go and join the other Biju."_

"Where are they?" Reecheru asked.

 _"I may be fond of you and your family,"_ Kyuubi started. _"But there are some things that are not meant for mortal knowledge."_

Reecheru nodded in understanding of that. Then another question popped into her head. She paused for a moment then looked up at him. "You don't mind if we call you Kyuubi, do you? It's what all the scrolls refer to you as."

 _"In the history of the world only two have earned my respect enough to give them my true name,"_ Kyuubi stated. _"The first was the Sage of the Six Paths. I'm sure you're familiar with his story. The last was your ancestor, Naruto. No other has heard my true name."_ Reecheru respectfully dropped the subject, understanding that everyone has their secrets.

"This is all great and everything," Merissa spoke up. "But I have to point out one thing." She pointed in Reecheru's direction. "Without the use of her arm it's kind of pointless to give her the scroll. She can't make the seal necessary for the summoning." Reecheru looked down at the scroll sorrowfully.

 _"You seem to think her arm is completely lost,"_ Kyuubi chided.

"Is it not?" Sabo asked.

 _"Normally it would be,"_ Kyuubi pointed out. He then looked directly at Merissa. _"But you're underestimating the skills you have once you become a Sennin. Katsuyu has been_ known to save and heal ninja that have been ripped in half, including her own summoner. _Fixing an arm that's lost it's use is child's play to her. All of this depends on the skill of her summoner, of course."_

"Of course," Merissa let out a sigh. "No pressure."

 _"Manda can be a little difficult to deal with,"_ Kyuubi addressed Sabo. _"Though I get the sense from these two that you're not easy to get along with either."_

"You mentioned something earlier," Sabo pointed out. "You said 'our ancestors legacy'. I'm not related to anyone from Konohagakure."

 _"It's very faint,"_ Kyuubi answered the unspoken question. _"Though you are not a direct descendant of Sasuke Uchiha, you do have Uchiha blood. Over the vast number of years on this planet, did you not wonder if someone had been banished from the clan and if they had prospered or not? You are a descendant of one the clan declared dishonorable."_ Sabo looked at Kyuubi oddly. _"The records of the event belong to the Uchiha Clan. If you wish to know more then you should seek answers from them."_

"No sweat Sabo," Merissa smiled. "I'm sure that Dad would let you take a look if you explained the situation." She then directed her attention back to Kyuubi. "Now let's get this training done. The sooner I learn then, maybe, the sooner Rae can have her arm back."

 _"You'll need to use Tsukiyomi on yourself,"_ Kyuubi stated to Merissa. _"In fact, you'll need to use it on all of you. One minute out here will feel like three days in your minds. Now imagine the training you could get done in an hour."_

"That's a half a year," Reecheru quickly spoke.

Kyuubi turned his attention to her. _"Unfortunately she is right about your arm,"_ he added. _"Until she can learn to heal using Katsuyu you won't be able to make a contract with Gamabunta. So you'll have to wait until her training is done to a certain extent."_

"I hate to break in here," Merissa interjected. "But I can hardly use Tsukiyomi for ten seconds, let alone a whole hour. I just learned the damn thing after all. Not to mention the fact that it could steal my eye sight if I over use it."

 _"That problem has already had a solution,"_ Kyuubi said. _"I will feed chakra to you to maintain the jutsu long enough for all of you to complete at least a half a year of training in your minds. You will need to train further on your own. Or, your summons can help further your training once you leave."_

"That's only if they agree," Sabo pointed out. "I've read the history. Manda would sooner eat it's summoner than form a bond, let alone train them."

 _"That is why you need a strong will and body,"_ Kyuubi pointed out. _"Manda respects the strong. He may not agree with you or even like you, but he'll show respect once you've earned it in his eyes. Now then, let's get started."_ Kyuubi explained to the three how to begin the contract and first summoning. Once Merissa and Sabo had it figured out Kyuubi had Merissa perform the Tsukiyomi on the two of them. True to Kyuubi's words, he poured chakra into Merissa so that she wouldn't feel the strain of the technique.

Ten minutes went by and Merissa snapped out of the Tsukiyomi with Sabo following. Merissa approached Reecheru and gave her a thumb's up. "I've got this one," she beamed. Merissa made a few hand gestures and a slug the size of Reecheru's thigh appeared. "This is a part of Katsuyu," Merissa explained. "She'll be helping me heal you." After a word of greeting, the polite slug crawled onto Reecheru's right arm after Merissa removed the sling and extended the limb.

The slug started to glow, which spread into Reecheru's arm. The three humans stared at the process, each wondering how it was working. Reecheru blinked in wonder all of the sudden. "I can feel some tingling," she announced. "It's almost like my arm had been asleep and now the blood flow is rushing back in."

Merissa got closer and picked up the hand. Using a medical pen she pushed the tip into Reecheru's index finger. "Could you feel that?" she asked.

"Barely," Reecheru admitted.

"We have a long way to go," Katsuyu admitted. "Reecheru-san did a lot of damage to her arm. It'll take a little time to heal."

Needing a distraction, Reecheru turned to Sabo. "How's training with Manda?" she asked.

"He's a pain in the ass," Sabo rolled his eyes. "He's got Ace's cockiness rolled into Luffy's stubborn streak with all the anti-social tendencies of Law." Both Reecheru and Merissa cringed at the description.

"How did you get him to agree to a contract?" Merissa asked. She had been so busy with her own contract that she hadn't been paying attention to Sabo.

"I beat the shit out of him like I would my brothers," Sabo grinned.

"Try moving your fingers Reecheru-san," Katsuyu interrupted. Reecheru did as she was asked. Her fingers gave small twitches to the commands that were given. "Just a little bit longer," Katsuyu announced. "It won't be too long now." After another minute Katsuyu climbed off. "I think that did it," she announced. "You might want to check the limb for any lingering damage so she doesn't over use it."

Merissa once again started checking Reecheru's reflexes in her right hand. This time she was passing with flying colors. Almost too good, Merissa had to duck a few times when the reflex was more of a strike. "What can I say?" Reecheru laughed. "I trained myself to attack when I'm attacked."

Sabo let out a chuckle. "Once a ninja always a ninja." After that Reecheru was able to form her own contract. Training with the Tsukiyomi began once again.

Luffy sat cross-legged in front of the cave opening. Law had stayed leaning against the stump. Robing sat on top of a stump that was at the right height for her, Seelai perched on her shoulder. Zoro stood over a pile of beaten, half-naked natives with his swords drawn. Another wave of natives had come to check on the first, or so Robin had assumed. Luffy had pouted when Zoro beat them all in just a few seconds. Robin calmed him by saying that Zoro is just anxious over what happened with Reecheru.

Movement in the bushes drew all of their attention. Franky and Usopp burst forth with Bortolomeo at their heels. "Luffy-senpai!" Bortolomeo danced over to his idol. "We're ready to sail once you've rescued your nakama." He looked around and noticed how no one was doing anything. "We are rescuing them, right?"

Zoro let out a curse and stomped to another innocent tree. "It's out of our hands rooster-kun," Robin explained. "For some inexplicable reason only Reecheru, Merissa and Sabo-kun were able to enter the cave. We have to wait for them to come out."

"This is awful!" Bortolomeo shrieked. "How will Zoro-senpai propose on my ship in a romantic setting if we can't get Reecheru out?"

Zoro stopped in his tracks with a look of horror on his face. "Eh?"

Usopp went up to Bortolomeo. "Too soon man," he whispered. "It's way too soon for that sort of thing."

"I should have waited an hour Sniperking Usopp-senpai?"

"That's not really the problem here," Usopp deadpanned.

"Although it'll make a great story to tell Nami."

Luffy leapt to his feet and whirled around to face the cave. Merissa, Sabo and Reecheru walked out of the cave. The barrier dissolved as they approached. "You guys are back," Luffy rushed forward. He wrapped his arms around all three of them and began a group hug. Shortly after Luffy was yanked off of the three.

Zoro grabbed Luffy by the back of the shirt and pulled him off the returning ninja. He did a check over for Reecheru and Merissa. He directed his eye on Reecheru. "Those natives didn't hurt you?" he asked.

Reecheru, her right arm in a sling, shrugged her left shoulder. "They tried to," she answered. "But it was more my pride that was injured then anything else." She put her left hand on Zoro's arm. "You were worried about me?" Zoro lowered his head so that their foreheads were touching. Merissa and Sabo moved off to the side with knowing smirks.

All those that were watching the interaction did so with various expressions. From confusion to indifference and to smiling. All the expressions changed and their eyes widened at what happened next.

Her left hand still on Zoro's arm so he could feel it, Reecheru shimmied her right arm out of it's sling. With his eyes closed he wasn't able to see the subtle movement of the limb they had all thought 'dead'. Zoro's eye snapped open like lightning when he felt another hand caress his cheek. He was offended at first, thinking that one of the others was playing a horrible prank. His eye widened when he discovered that it was Reecheru's healed right hand. "Surprise," she grinned.

Missy skipped up to Law and got in his face. "That's right," she pointed at him. "I'm the one that healed her, not you." She was boasting and teasing him for some reason. Why? She just felt like it was her right. "Looks like I make a better doctor than you. I healed something you called a 'lost cause' or something. Me, not you. I..." Merissa's tirade was silenced when Law's mouth came crashing down on her's.

Franky raised his glasses in surprise, Usopp passed out, Luffy laughed, Sabo shook his head and Robin giggled out, "Finally." The whole situation was ignored by Zoro and Reecheru who were sharing a kiss of their own.

"I hate to interrupt," Robin called out. "But Merissa, you even said that you couldn't heal Reecheru's arm. What changed that?"

"We just went through training," Merissa answered. The three ninja shuddered at the same time. "It was horribly grueling."

"You were in there for two hours," Law pointed out.

"Thank goodness for that," Reecheru sighed. "It felt more like six months." The three shared a smile.

"How did you train your healing abilities to that point in just two hours?" Law demanded.

Merissa decided that she was going to mess with him. "Well inside the cave is a strange room," she started. "It's surrounded by strange writings. When we walked into the room it was like all time had stopped. We could spend hours upon hours, up to even days, in there and only a few minutes would pass out here." Robin looked intrigued by the explanation. That was, until her eyes met Reecheru's. She shook her head at Robin, letting her know that wasn't what really happened.

Before Law could question the statement the volcano started erupting. Usopp, after waking, was the first to freak out. "What's going on!?" he shouted. "I thought it was safe!"

"Perhaps we'll be burnt to a crisp," Robin casually stated.

"Don't say things like that," Usopp yelled.

"It's nothing to worry about," Sabo stated. He walked over to where the crows were waiting for him. "It's just our trainer getting ready to go home to where he belongs now that his task is done." Sabo climbed onto the two crows he rode earlier and the flock took to the air. "Bye Luffy!" he waved.

"Bye Sabo!" Luffy waved back enthusiastically.

"Luffy-senpai," Bortolomeo caught his attention. "Shouldn't we leave this area? It could be dangerous."

An explosion from the top of the volcano drew everyones attention. A large, red fox with nine tails came out of the fire. He looked down at the group at the base. He nodded to them and jumped into the sky. He was soon out of sight of everyone.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Usopp freaked.

"That was our trainer," Reecheru said from her place in Zoro's arms. "He guarded over some important artifacts from Konoha for us. He was waiting for three ninja that would be strong enough for the task."

"What task is that?" Law asked.

"Do any of you remember what we said about the Sennin?" Merissa asked. Only Robin affirmed that she did. "He was guarding the Sennin contract scrolls until three ninja appeared that could handle them."

"That was you three," Robin stated. She was quick to put the points together. "So what was that thing anyway? It wasn't a sea king."

"That was Kyuubi," Reecheru answered. "He was sealed inside my ancestor at the time of his birth. It wasn't until my ancestor was in his mid-teens until he learned the truth of Kyuubi. At that time, they were enemies. Any opportunity Kyuubi had to inflict pain on others, including my ancestor, he took. The stronger my ancestor became the more frequent the attacks. It wasn't until the two of them were forced to come to an understanding that they finally saw eye to eye. They were able to agree on a common enemy. That common enemy became respect, and respect became friendship. When Kyuubi was given a choice to be with the others like him he refused. He wanted to stay with his friend, my ancestor. We're a little vague on the details that follow my ancestor's death though. We don't know how or why exactly Kyuubi came to protecting the scrolls and waiting for us."

"Perhaps it's one of those mysteries meant to remain unsolved," Usopp pointed out.

"There's no such thing," Robin disagreed. "Somewhere, the important actions of others is written down. Whether it was intentional or not, it's there somewhere. You just have to read between the lines."

Luffy had seen Kyuubi take off and watched it leave with stars in his eyes. Franky was the only one that kept him from rocketing after it. He paid half attention to the story of Kyuubi's role in the events of the day. "So it's a mystery fox," he nodded sagely. He then turned around and headed back to the beach. "It's time to set sail, we have to meet up with Sanji and the others."


	35. Zou

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Thirty-four: Zou

The group made their way back to the beach where the row-boat was waiting to take them back to the Going Luffy-Senpai. Those that had been in or waiting at the cave were shocked at the sight of what awaited them. There were two boats waiting in the sand. Four of Bartolomeo's crew were standing over two others that were crying. "What's going on here?" Merissa asked in confusion.

"They're being made an example of," Bartolomeo stated. "They were disrespectful of the new members of Luffy-senpai's crew. So now they have to wait at the island until we bring you all to Zou and then come back for them."

"Doesn't that seem a little harsh to you?" Reecheru asked. "No real harm had been done. There's no need to leave them stranded with half naked natives."

"As much as I want to give in," Bartolomeo sniffled. He put his arms over his eyes as if to block out Reecheru's face and words. "We have a strict honor code that must be upheld in the Barto Club. Rule number fifty-seven states that in the event any should be honored enough to make contact with a member of the Straw Hats they must maintain their dignity. A distance of a minimum of three feet must be between us and the Straw Hats when in contact unless extenuating circumstances call for closer contact. Naturally this rule includes even new members of the Straw Hats. I can't allow their actions of touching or nearly touching such god-like people go unpunished."

Reecheru opened her mouth to protest further. "Just let it go," Zoro stopped her. "He's obviously serious about this and his other rules. Plus he did say that they would be coming back for them."

"Did you people forget?" Merissa pointed out. "Unless someone here has an Eternal Log Pose to this island you're not likely going to find your way back here. Once you leave these crewmen behind then that's it. You won't be coming back for them unless you somehow, miraculously I might add, manage to find this specific island again."

"But I can't allow their disrespect to go unpunished," Bartolomeo was suffering from a moral crisis now. He wouldn't abandon his crew, Luffy-senpai would look badly on that. At the same time he had to uphold the laws set in place when the Barto Club ever came into contact with the Straw Hats.

"Perhaps a compromise," Robin spoke up. "While they are not allowed on the main ship when we're traveling they could be pulled behind in one of the smaller rafts. This way they won't have the chance to break anymore of your rules and you won't be abandoning them."

"SMART AND BEAUTIFUL!" Bartolomeo gushed out in his normal fangirl fashion. He and his crew set to work on getting it all set up. All the members of the Barto Club got into one boat and began heading back to the ship.

"How are all of us getting back?" Usopp asked. "We won't all fit in one boat, will we?" Law activated his room to the point that it reached the ship. He put a hand on Merissa's shoulder and used his Shambles technique. The two of them were replaced with one of the bags of vegetables that Usopp and Merissa had collected earlier. "What a cheater," Usopp muttered.

"It solves the SUPER problem," Franky pointed out. He picked up the bag and put it over his shoulder.

"Let's go already!" Everyone looked to see that Luffy was already in the remaining boat. "We have to catch up to Sanji and the others."

"Says the one that couldn't wait to explore the island," Usopp muttered. The others moved ahead of him to climb into the boat. After Franky put the bag on the floor he and Zoro took up the oars and started rowing back to Bartolomeo's ship. In no time at all they were passing the first row boat and being tied to the ship thanks to their efforts.

Reecheru was more than happy to be able to do things on her own again. With the use of her arm returned she didn't need anyone helping to climb back into the main ship. Though she had never voiced her fears, she had been worried she would no longer be able to benefit the crew in one way or the other. It would only have been a matter of time before she felt the need to return to Konoha due to her lack of usefulness. Merissa's approach snapped her out of the thought. "I'll never get used to that," she shuddered. "Him or you, that instant travel over distances crap is for the birds."

"You just need to build a tolerance," Reecheru smiled. "We can work that into your daily training."

"Hell no." Merissa walked into the ship without giving it another thought.

Zoro came up and took Reecheru's hand. He had apparently finished helping to secure the boat back to the ship. He pulled Reecheru towards the stern of the ship where there wasn't anyone there yet. As soon as they rounded the corner Reecheru found herself pushed against the wall with both her hands trapped above her head. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm making good on that promise," Zoro leaned in. It took a moment for Reecheru to remember what Zoro was talking about. The memory of him telling her he promised to kiss her after he defeated Pica. Then him telling her he couldn't follow through the way he wanted until her arm was fixed.

"Oh," was all Reecheru said.

"Oh," Zoro agreed just before he reached his goal. He had full control over how deep the kiss went. Reecheru was trapped between him and the ship. His entire body kept her from trying to move away. Not that she would have, but still. She admittedly didn't expect him to keep her from using her hands. He used his free hand to keep Reecheru's head still. The only thing that stopped them was the sound of footsteps approaching.

Franky rounded the corner just as Reecheru lowered her arms. "I'm not interrupting I hope," Franky wagged his eyebrows.

"Don't be such a perv," Reecheru admonished.

"What's going on Franky?" Zoro asked. He noticed the rope that Franky held tightly in his grip.

"Just doing the trip banishment for Bartolomeo," Franky said. "I told him I would tie off the boat with the two crewmen so the rope wouldn't come loose even in the worst weather." He then proceeded to tie the rope to the back rail of the ship. Zoro and Reecheru looked down to the water to see the two crewmen sitting in the boat behind the ship looking depressed.

"I still feel bad for them," Reecheru added. "It's not like they were expecting Luffy to acquire more crew while in Dressrosa."

"They'll be fine," Zoro started to walk away. "We should leave them be, it's part of their punishment after all." Reecheru slowly followed after him. She had to admit that he was right. This was Bartolomeo's crew and he had to enforce the rules he set on this ship. The follow through was the important part for discipline.

The next morning found Reecheru and Zoro on the deck alone. Both were dripping sweat from either the heat or the amount of exertion used. Zoro's hand was slightly shaking. He clenched his fist to get it under control. "Again," he said.

"We've been doing this for two hours now," Reecheru pointed out. "I think that it's time for you to take a break."

"This is the next challenge," Zoro gave himself a pep talk. It was almost like he didn't even hear what Reecheru had to say. "I can train myself to withstand anything."

"If this one works, again, then we're taking a break." Reecheru got into a ready stance. "Whether or not you agree to it. I'm going to go take a break." Zoro simply braced himself and nodded to let her know he was ready. Reecheru charged forward, Zoro watched as she hit the same spots in order. First it was the inside of the arm, then the area where the neck meets the shoulder and finally a spot just below his ribs on the side. Reecheru jumped back to avoid being tripped on when Zoro fell. Both of their eyes widened when Zoro took a step forward, but did not fall. Reecheru walked up to face Zoro. "Either your wish to become immune to pressure points is becoming a reality or you've lost feeling in your nerves. I'm going to go with the nerves. It's time that we take a break."

"Try a different set," Zoro stated. "Check to see if that one works or not."

"After I take a break," Reecheru walked away. "You're just standing there while I'm doing all the work. We've been at this for a few hours already. I need to replenish my energy and you could use the time to recenter yourself."

Zoro stretched and turned to watch Reecheru walking towards the kitchen. He didn't like the idea of pausing in the training before seeing results, but she did have a point. He was starting to feel the need for food and booze. He followed after her a little slowly. His limbs were feeling heavy and weak. Forcing his body to do what he wanted he picked up the pace. By the time he reached the kitchen he was feeling mostly back to normal.

Zoro was just sitting at the table when Reecheru put a glass of something on the table in front of him. "What is this?" he asked. He brought it up to his nose to smell it. It didn't smell so bad, but it wasn't the booze that he wanted.

"It's a drink that we use in my family," Reecheru explained. "I had to substitute some of the ingredients, but it should behave in the same way. The best way to train someone on pressure points is to use a willing volunteer. There is the occasion where the volunteer goes through nerve feeling loss like I suspect you're doing right now. This helps to restore the feeling back into the nerve so there's no lasting effect."

"How long will it take before we can start training again?" Zoro asked.

"You're relentless," Reecheru rolled her eyes. Zoro just stared at her until she answered. "The least amount of time has been an hour. But it isn't recommended that the training continue for another week on the same person."

"Not an option," Zoro dismissed. He took three large gulps of the liquid and it was gone. He was about to say something, but he was interrupted by Luffy. The captain of the Straw Hats rushed into the kitchen yelling his need for food. As expected the members of the Barto Club rushed to fill his demands. Reecheru and Zoro were surrounded by a flood of activity in the span of less then five seconds. With a roll of the eyes Reecheru grabbed a fruit and glass of water and left the crowded room.

Reecheru took a seat on the railing and stared out into the fog as she ate her breakfast. The bright sun was blocked so the area looked gray. She felt someone sit on the floor behind her. It didn't take much effort for her to realize that it was Zoro. While he wasn't one for sitting on the railing he had no problem leaning against it. More so if she happened to be perched on the railing herself. She threw the core of her fruit into the water and finished her water. The waves rocked the ship suddenly and the glass tipped over the side. Reecheru then felt a hand grab her wrist just as the waves started getting more rough. "I'm not going to fall in," she chastised. "I'm trained to keep my balance." The sky darkened suddenly and the wind picked up. Reecheru twisted her body and stood on the deck of the ship once again. "It is better to be safe than sorry though."

Zoro stood as he let out a laugh. "Of course it is," he humored. Lightning then struck across the expanse of the sky. The rough sailing conditions continued to worsen.

Their attention was brought back to the others when Bartolomeo stumbled past them, looking blue in the face. "Oh it's too foggy out," he groaned. "I can't see ahead of us." He then fell to his knees weakly.

Zoro looked around the deck to see the entire Barto Club in similar states. He shook his head and looked forward with his arms across his chest. "You guys are getting seasick way too often," he pointed out. "How do you call yourselves pirates?"

The Barto Club then all started to shove gum into their mouths. "Gum?" Franky came up from behind them.

"Gum helps a little bit," Bartolomeo explained. "That's what Grandma says."

"Is that why there's gum stuck all over!?" Usopp asked in horror. Luffy joined everyone and started laughing at their antics.

The lookout in the crow's nest then called out to everyone below. "I see something at two o'clock," he called out. He started getting sick as well. The information was taking time to get relayed back with the Barto Club being seasick. "In the fog..." The sailor tried reporting. "There's a mountain or a monster."

Bartolomeo looked up to the nest with disbelief. "I hope there's no monster that can be mistaken for a mountain," he groaned.

"But it looks like it's moving."

"You're just drunk, teme." Bartolomeo went back to trying to ease his upset stomach.

"If it's a mountain that moves let's go," Luffy cheered. His enthusiasm was cut short by Usopp jumping on top of him.

"No, you idiot!" Usopp was looking rather angry over Luffy becoming easily distracted. "What we have to do now is find a way out of this maze like fog. Otherwise we'll hit a reef and capsize."

"Wait, God," Law called out from the back.

Merissa walked out from behind him and joined Reecheru next to the rail. "And what were the two of you up to?" Reecheru teased.

"He was trying to figure out how Katsuya could heal your arm without major surgery," Merissa rolled her eyes. "Don't be surprised if he wants to take a look at your arm once we have more secure footing."

"Oh joy."

"You could always substitute a clone and take off."

"Now there's a thought." The two barely caught the exchange between Usopp and Law. At first Usopp had been flattered by what Law had called him. That flattery instantly turned to dread when Law pointed out that the Navy Admirals would be coming after him with more effort now that they knew who he was. He ignored Usopp as he pointed out that his vivre card was pointing in the direction of the moving mountain. Luffy then started getting excited about finally finding Law's Nakama.

Usopp turned just as blue as the rest of the Barto Club. "Do you need some gum?" Robin asked seriously. Usopp began muttering about how he had ignored the reality.

Law continued to ignore Usopp's antics as he explained what was going on. "I heard that Zou blocks out invaders with a dense fog and an adverse current."

"There are headwinds too," Franky pointed out. "Take in the sails. We'll row it forward from here." With less enthusiasm then Franky hoped the Barto Club got started on rowing the Going Luffy-Senpai forward.

The ship eventually caught up to the moving mountain. All those aboard were stunned speechless once they saw clearly what it was that they were approaching. "Is this the island of Zou?" Luffy asked in amazement.

"It's bigger than the scrolls say a biju is," Reecheru whispered in amazement.

"Wasn't that the fox thing that came out of the mountain?" Zoro asked for clarification.

"Kyubi," Reecheru nodded slowly as she still stared. "He's the strongest of all the tailed beasts and can get rather large. But nothing like this."

"That's too strange," Bartolomeo cried out. Usopp then immediately started calling for everyone to run and turn around. Law put a stop to it by claiming that this was the place.

"Tra-guy," Luffy said shakily. "But this is an elephant!" The Barto Club started yelling once they had Luffy's confirmation on what they were seeing.

"Yeah," Law agreed ignoring the shouts. "Zou is the name of a place that flourishes on the back of a massive elephant." Usopp cried out, but Law continued. "It keeps moving so it's never in the same location. It's a Phantom island." Robin was looking up the long leg with a smile. Zoro gazed up with his mouth hanging open. Franky grit his teeth as he stared. Usopp looked like he was ready to soil his pants. Both Merissa and Reecheru stood in awe. "It's not an island so a Log Pose won't actually get you here. I have never been here before either. It's showing it's back to us so that means Black Leg and the others could have gotten here much sooner."

"So we were chasing an elephant that was walking away," Robin concluded. Next to her Reecheru reached over and snapped Zoro's mouth shut. Merissa took out her camera snail and took a shot, hoping to show her younger brothers some day.

"Yeah," Law agreed with Robin. "Prepare for landfall." Everyone took their eyes off the elephant to look at him. Law then approached Bartolomeo. "Can you give us some food?"

Bartolomeo looked affronted by Law's 'request'. "For you!?" he demanded.

Law then changed the form of the question. "Can you give Straw Hat-ya some food?" He looked a little impatient to have to ask a second time.

"Take everything in the food storage!" Bartolomeo's expression instantly changed to a grin that took over half his face. He made a gesture with his arms as if welcoming them to walk all over him like a doormat.

Merissa stared at the man in confusion. "How can he so easily change his attitude?"

"He'd kiss Luffy's sandals if Luffy would let him," Reecheru pointed out.

The two samurai then conversed about the island and began wondering if Momo was fine. Kanjuro turned to Law and pointed out he heard there was a tribe that hated humans. Law agreed darkly to the statement. "That would be the Mink Tribe," he clarified. "They hold off humans and some say their history on the island goes back nearly a thousand years."

Luffy was astonished at the news. "A thousand years on an elephant!?" He then hesitated with his next question. "Does that mean that the elephant has been alive for a thousand years?" Through the entire conversation the Barto Club continued to row towards the massive creature in front of them. Luffy then put a hand over his eyes and peered through the fog. "Is that...?" He leaned sightly foward as Bartolomeo ran up to him in excitement. Luffy's posture relaxed and he started laughing. The Thousand Sunny was finally seen through the fog. "It's Sunny!" Luffy cheered.

Bartolomeo started crying for joy and jumping all over his ship as they pulled up next to the Sunny. Reecheru and Merissa looked at him like he had gone crazy. Zoro snapped from his strong stance and yelled at Bartolomeo to shut up. "So that's..." Bartolomeo started crying as if he hadn't heard Zoro yell at him. "So that's the grand ship that carries the sacred bodies of the Straw Hats!" He and the members of the Barto Club that weren't rowing started chanting that they were blessed and started bowing to the Sunny. Usopp snapped at them not to worship it.

"Good," Robin looked fondly at the ship. "So they made it here for sure." She had a natural talent for ignoring the strange antics of the Barto Club.

Luffy started calling for the missing members of the crew along with Momo and Ceasar, although he couldn't remember Ceasar's name. When no response came he grabbed the ship and whipped himself across the expanse of water to board. He started looking around, but no one could be seen. A strange noise then filled the air. "It's the leg," Usopp pointed out. Franky then added that it's moving.

The Sunny and Luffy were then pulled away from the other ship. Luffy's cheering could be heard clearly even as the Sunny moved further away. The waters grew even more rough in the wake of the leg's movement. Bartolomeo called for his crew to hurry up and catch up to the Sunny. Merissa went to the rail and looked at the water. "I guess that explains the strange current," she stated. "It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. A creature that size, it's no wonder it disrupts the balance of nature on such a grand scale."

"So you could say that's also the reason for the fog," Reecheru added. "It's not a defense mechanism at all. It just naturally occurs since the body temperature of the animal is so vastly different than the air surrounding it."

"None of that matters right now," Usopp snapped. "What if we lose track of Luffy?"

"Unlikely," Merissa rolled her eyes. "Already the Groupies are working to catch up. On top of that, once that particular leg stops moving it's easy to assume that it won't be moving for some time again. We'll catch up in no time."

Even though Merissa pointed out that the leg would stop eventually Bartolomeo activated his barrier powers and connected the two ships once they were close enough. He strained to maintain the connection as the leg continued to move. Just as suddenly as it started, the leg stopped it's forward motion. Bartolomeo collapsed onto the deck and tried to catch his breath while still keeping the barrier connected. He asked shakily if it stopped. Some of his crew reported that the leg on the other side was now moving and the one Sunny was anchored to would start moving again soon. "All of you senpai," Bartolomeo called out. "Hurry and cross over!" He was startled when no one was where he last saw them. "Oh? Where did they go?" His eyes bugged in surprise when he noticed they were already half way across his barrier stairs.

When they reached the other side they found Luffy standing on the deck of Sunny. "Luffy, have you found the others?" Usopp asked. Luffy looked at them in confusion and stated it looked like they weren't there. Usopp was shocked, but Law pointed out they must have already made landfall. Usopp looked at him in surprise.

Luffy got a grin on his face. "Let's catch up to them quickly!"

"Take care then guys," Usopp bid them farewell.

"You're coming too," Zoro ordered. He followed up by hitting his fist down on the top of Usopp's head.

It took a few minutes for the food from Bartolomeo's ship to be transferred from the Sunny. However, as soon as it was done they were ready to begin their climb to the top of the elephant. Everyone had a pack strapped to their backs. Merissa and Reecheru were back in their black and green unforms. The packs that they had were slightly larger than the rest, except for Zoro's and Franky's, as well as the same green as their vests.

"I thought the two of you weren't going to wear those clothes any more," Robin pointed out.

"We never said that," Reecheru disagreed. "It's just easier to go into new territory wearing the standard uniform. We've said before that it's very versatile. Plus it helps to camoflauge in forest areas. If the Mink Tribe is as violent towards humans as we've been made to believe then we need to have some advantage. We're already behind in that area since we're going into their territory. We have no idea what to expect when reaching the top."

"They have a point," Zoro stated. "We should be ready to be attacked as soon as we get to the top of the elephant." Everyone started to gather around the helm of the ship. Kanjuro then started to paint something on the floor. Robin, Usopp and Franky began a debate on what it was that he was drawing. All the while they ignored Bartolomeo's shouts. They had all become used to his random praise and 'pirate' worship.

Kanjuro finished his drawing with a flourish, proudly stating it was done. Everyone stared at it without a word. Luffy cut through the silence while blatantly asking what it was. Usopp pressed his theory it was snake. The debate continued while Kanjuro performed various hand signs above the drawing. "Arise Dragon!" he called.

"Dragon!?" Kin'emon asked in surprise.

"No way that's a dragon," Merissa whispered to Robin and Reecheru. Reecheru pinched the bridge of her nose while Robin giggled.

A pink thing with orange tipped 'scales' peeled itself off the deck of the ship. As it grew in size several of the crew stepped back to give it room. Luffy was calling out in excitement. Zoro was staring up at it with a grin. The creature started shaking and sweating with the strain of it's appearance. Franky pointed out it was about to say something. The creature started to weakly call out the word 'Dragon'.

"What kind of pathetic creature is that!?" Usopp stepped back. Kanjuro called the dragon's attention and started issuing it orders. "Well, if we can fly on the dragon we'll reach the top in no time." Usopp looked rather happy at the prospect.

"There's a problem with that Usopp," Reecheru started slowly. She was staring at the pink creature in disbelief. Usopp glanced at her then back to the dragon. It passed all of them towards the elephant and then clung to it's leg.

"Now everyone," Kanjuro called out. "Cling onto it's back and we'll climb to the top."

"No wings," Reecheru finished pointing out to Usopp.

"It's not going to fly!?" Usopp was surprised that Kanjuro didn't think to put wings on a dragon.

Luffy cheered and jumped onto the dragon first. He was directly behind the horns. Zoro gestured towards Reecheru for her to get in front of him. She and Merissa both crossed their arms with a defiant look. "No," Merissa started.

"Just no," Reecheru finished.

"How do you expect to climb the leg then?" Kanjuro asked.

"We'll reach the summit before you," Merissa pointed out. "Don't worry about either of us. Besides, it doesn't look like there's enough room for everyone."

Usopp pushed Zoro onto the dragon then climbed on behind him. Robin followed after him with Law and Franky right after. Kin'emon and Kanjuro brought up the rear. The creature started to climb up the leg. "Wait," Luffy started. "Not everyone is on yet."

Reecheru and Merissa were jogging up the leg, passing the others as they went. Reecheru slowed right next to Luffy. "We'll go and scout ahead," she stated. "We'll secure a safe area for you guys to arrive." She increased her speed again and pulled ahead.

"Wait a second," Zoro called out. The two women were already racing up the length of the leg before they could be stopped again.

Bartolomeo was calling out his farewells to the group that was now climbing up. "Hey Luffy," Franky called out. "Bartolomeo and the others are saying something."

"I forgot to thank them," Luffy reminded himself. He then began waving and shouting out his own farewell. "Hey Lome-o! Thanks for bringing us here!" He turned back around and started watching for the top of the elephant. None paid attention to the crying farewells of the Barto Club. The 'banished' crewmen were brought back on board before the Going Luffy-Senpai started sailing away.

 _ **AN: Apologies for the delay in updating. Between my muse wanting me to work on another story, again, and several distractions it was hard to get back into the mood to update this story. I also have a question to ask the readers. There's no rush into this, but it is something that should be addressed. After the adventure on Zou the crew splits up again. Luffy is the only one that is a constant in the story progression, as he should be. The question is this: Should Reecheru and Merissa go with them to face Big Mom? Should only one of them go and if so who? Or should neither go and put the story on hold until the crew becomes whole again? I value the opinions of the readers and this is something I've been thinking on without too clear of an answer. I've been leaning on having the kunoichi go get Sanji with the premise of 'absence makes the heart fonder' kind of thinking. So please let me know what you think.**_


	36. City Gates

I make no money off of this work of fiction. One Piece is the work of Oda Eiichiro and Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto.

Ninja Pirates

Chapter Thirty-five: City Gates

Luffy and the others were progressively, yet slowly, making their way up the leg. "It's so high," Usopp cried. "It's really scary!"

"Don't say that Usopp," Luffy looked back. "He's giving it his all." He had been referring to the dragon they were relying on to climb up the elephant's leg. Unfortunately the dragon lost it's grip at this point and they all started to fall.

Usopp started crying how it was the end. He latched onto Zoro's waist in his fright of falling. "YOU IDIOT!" Zoro yelled at him. "DON'T PULL ON ME!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!" Luffy cheered the dragon on.

"If we hit the ocean it'll be all over," Kin'emon stared at the fast approaching water. The dragon locked it's arms and doubled it's effort to slow their unexpected descent. The fall slowed and eventually stopped. However, the dragon only stopped once they were back to where they started. The smiling face of the Thousand Sunny greeted the members of it's crew.

Usopp cheered for the dragon's efforts and named it Ryunosuke. Zoro looked down at Usopp in anger with a fist at the ready. "JUST LET GO OF ME ALREADY!"

"This thing scared the crap out of me," Law sighed.

"I wish it could fly," Franky agreed.

"Is the dragon okay?" Kin'emon asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kanjuro asked in blissful ignorance. "You saw how he held on like that."

"You can do it Ryunosuke," Luffy pointed out. "Let's go!." His hands pumped into the air in his enthuthiasm. The dragon pumped itself up and got ready to start out again.

"We're right back where we started though," Law pointed out. Just like that Ryunosuke got a defeated look on his face.

After a short while Luffy held his hand to his eyes to see further ahead on the climb. The fog was so thick that he could barely see five feet in front of him. "I can't see Sanji and the others from here," he whined.

"Are we even sure that they're up there?" Zoro asked.

"We still haven't heard back from Reecheru and Merissa," Robin pointed out. "I can only assume that they haven't reached the top. Or they have reached the top, but were captured by the Minks to be served as tonight's dinner."

"DON'T SAY SCARY STUFF LIKE THAT!" Usopp yelled.

Reecheru and Merissa continued their journey up the leg of the elephant. "How tall is this freaking thing?" Merissa demanded. "It's not natural for a creature to possibly be this large."

"You could try to ask it," Reecheru teased. "Although, I'm not sure if it speaks any human language."

"You're so funny," Merissa drolled. "I forgot to laugh." The two paused in their upward trek when they spotted something falling towards them. "Think it's the first line of defense? Are they starting by throwing cannon balls or rocks at us?"

Reecheru had shifted to a defensive position and just stared. Her look of concentration turned into one of confusion as the object grew closer, and louder. "Unless inanimate objects learned to talk and how to be scared it's doubtful." Indeed, the thing falling seemed to be crying in terror as it fell. The closer it got, the more distinguished it's features.

"A...Monkey?" Merissa asked.

The two had been so stunned by this revelation that they hesitated in catching the falling creature. The monkey fell past them while flailing it's arms. Reecheru was about to jump and try a rescue when Merissa stopped her. "It's headed straight for the pink deformed dragon," she pointed out. "I'm sure the others will notice it and rescue it from almost certain death."

"Why was it falling though?" Reecheru asked. "Is that the Mink Tribe's way of execution?"

"Brutal," Merissa gave a shudder. "But no doubt effective. I'm sure we'll learn more once we reach the top." The two then continued their climb up the elephant leg.

"Come to think of it," Luffy hummed in thought. "Kin'emon, Kanjuro. Why did you want to go to Zou?"

"Well we do owe you people a lot," Kin'emon started. "We'll eventually tell you everything, but right now we need to feel safe."

"Zou has always been our goal since setting out from Wano," Kanjuro added. "First of all, we want to see if Momonosuke is safe. Then we need to see if our friend that we were separated from, Riazo a ninja, has made it here as well."

All the men on the dragon snapped their heads to look at the two. "A NINJA?!" They all asked in astonishment. "Is he really a ninja?" Luffy asked in wonder.

"What?" Robin looked at them in confusion.

"A ninja," Luffy looked serious for an instant. Stars suddenly appeared in his eyes. "I want to meet him."

"I want to see shuriken," Zoro agreed.

"Does he mediate under a waterfall?" Usopp asked.

"Can he use supernatural ninja abilities?" Law voiced his own question.

"How about being able to disappear in an instant?" Franky added.

"What are you guys..." Robin looked at all of them in confusion. "You do realize that Reecheru and Merissa are also ninja?"

Luffy got a pout on his face. "They don't show their cool moves any time I ask them. They say 'mainly defense' or something like that."

"He can do all those things," Kin'emon interrupted.

Luffy's attention turned back to anticipated happiness. "What kind of things can he do?"

Kanjuro got a joking smile on his face. "He can see really far away. Ninpo: Telescopic Technique!" He demonstrated by forming his hands to look like glasses and put them over Kin'emon's eyes. The men on the dragon exclaimed their wonder while Kin'emon snapped at Kanjuro about speaking nonsense. Luffy looked disappointed again, but before anything else could be said a noise drew Robin's attention.

"What?" She narrowed her eyes as she looked up. "Look Luffy, there's something falling right for us." Everyone's attention was right back towards the front.

From the sky a black spot was getting larger and larger. As it got closer they could see flailing limbs. Luffy was the most surprised. The object was making a chattering noise as it fell. Luffy mimicked the noise in confusion.

Clueless to the change in topic, Kanjuro agreed that a ninja uses a rhythmic sound when running. He kept joking around, however, and blinded Kin'emon with his hands. Those in front weren't paying them attention as they ducked out of the way of the falling creature. Not being able to see what was coming towards them, Kin'emon and Kanjuro were hit squarely by it. This caused the three of them to fall off of Ryunosuke.

"They fell off!" Luffy freaked out.

"What kind of thing just fell at us!?" Usopp demanded.

"I don't know," Robin said seriously. "I believe it was a bloody person with knives sticking out all over. Possibly a message from Reecheru and Merissa." She paused for dramatic effect. It worked as the three in front of her freaked out. "Or it could have been just a monkey." Usopp snapped at her for scaring him.

Luffy and Usopp started calling out to them to see if they were alright. After a moment Kin'emon responded and said they were fine. Kin'emon then urged them to keep going and they would catch up. Luffy started to refuse and began to tell Ryunosuke to turn around. Everyone paused when they noticed how hard and stressed the dragon looked due to the climb. "How can we ask him to turn around?" they all thought.

"It seems he wants to finish his job as soon as possible," Zoro reasoned.

Reecheru and Merissa were almost to the top. Reecheru paused again to look back. "What is it now?" Merissa asked.

"Can you hear shouting?" Reecheru asked instead. Merissa quieted and listened for what had drawn her friend's attention. Indeed they could hear shouting from below. "It sounds like someone might have fallen back down."

The two were so far ahead that they couldn't determine what was said. Only two voices were distinguishable. "One is Luffy," Merissa pointed out. "The other voice, it's much further away. It almost sounds like..."

"Byakugan," Reecheru activated her blood-limit. "Kin'emon and Kanjuro are back on the Sunny," she reported. "It looks like that monkey is with them too."

"Perhaps it collided with them and caused them to fall," Merissa hypothisized. "What are the others doing?"

"They're looking at the pink thing with concern," Reecheru continued to stare. "Although, the drawing looks like it's seen better days. The poor thing looks about ready to pass out from exhaustion."

"Do you think we should turn back?" Merissa asked.

Reecheru closed her eyes and allowed them to go back to normal. "That would be pointless," she shook her head. She looked back towards the top. "We don't have that much further to go. Plus, we promised to secure an area for the others. They don't have the same stealth and recon training we do. I want to be able to report our initial findings to Robin when they catch up."

"Why not Luffy?" Merissa asked. "He is the captain." Reecheru's only response was to stare blankly at her friend. "Point made. But it brings up another question. Isn't Zoro the first-mate? If not the captain shouldn't you report to him?"

A blush adorned Reecheru's cheeks and she looked away. "I don't want to seem too eager when talking to him."

"You two shed blood together," Merissa pointed out. "I think it's past the time for being shy."

"I'm not being shy," Reecheru denied. "I don't like being teased. Which is exactly what you and Franky will do if I report to Zoro. You'll say I look like a puppy that's eager to please it's master and get a treat."

"Well I would now," Merissa laughed. "Plus you can't deny there isn't some truth to you wanting a 'treat'."

"Shut up."

The two raced the last length towards the top. They jumped past the edge and landed on even "ground" in a crouch, ready to defend themselves. The two froze in shock at the sight. "I don't believe this," Merissa whispered.

In front of them was what appeared to be large city gates. However, the gates looked broken and forced open. The two glanced at each other and moved forward as they stayed close to the shadows. When they were close enough they leapt into the trees and used them to get over the wall instead of going through the gates. It was an extra precaution they weren't sure they needed, but it was ingrained in their survival instincts to blend into the environment.

When they were close enough to the city they stopped. In the distance was nothing except the forest, that looked liked it had seen better days, and a ruined city. Doing some hand signs, Reecheru made a few clones of herself. They scattered instantly and started investigating the area. Reecheru was no exception as Merissa suddenly found herself alone on the branch. She kept watch for hostiles by activating her Sharingan.

Reecheru and her clones moved through the city. Finding evidence of a recent and fierce battle. She regrouped back with Merissa after dismissing her clones. "No signs of life in the city or forest. Let's get back to the edge," she said. "I'll summon Seelai do get a bird's view from the gates." Merissa agreed, not liking the lack of people in the area.

Once they returned to the front of the gates Reecheru immediately summoned Seelai. Once the bird was in the sky she sat and began to meditate. Her eyes snapped open with the Byakugan active. Merissa waved her hand in front of Reecheru. The lack of reaction proved that Reecheru was unaware of how close she was, as she was now connected to her ninja bird. This technique allowed Reecheru to see everything that Seelai did.

After one final scare on Luffy's part, nearly causing Ryunosuke to fall off the leg, the remaining Straw Hats and Law were close to the top. The sun was just peaking over the horizon when the sound of chanting drew the attention of the watchful woman. "Who in the hell is Ryunosuke?" Merissa asked. The top of the dragon started to pop from the side of the elephant. Luffy had his hands thrown up into the air in victory.

When the dragon stopped moving everyone was instantly off it's back. "We made it!" Luffy cheered.

"We made it to the top!" Usopp clarified.

For some reason Merissa couldn't fathom why Franky was crying as he congratulated an exhausted pink dragon. Amidst the cheering Robin stayed close to the dragon and talked quietly with it. She was the first to notice it was turning into a drawing once more. Usopp turned back to thank the dragon only to yell out the same thing. He, Luffy and Franky joined Robin as they cried for the loss of their new friend. They started yelling off the edge of the elephant.

Merissa could only raise an eyebrow at their antics. "It was never a real creature to begin with," she said under her breath.

"This is absurd," Law stated.

"It was just a bad drawing anyway," Zoro chastised. Usopp started yelling about him being uncaring. "We're in enemy territory," Zoro pointed out. "Never look back." Usopp admitted that he had a point. "Pay attention to your surroundings." This brought Usopp and Luffy to the present and noticed what Zoro was talking about.

Zoro had crouched down in front of Reecheru, who remained unmoving. Behind her was a broken gate to the city. Zoro looked up towards Merissa. "What's going on?" he asked.

"That's what we're trying to find out," Merissa glanced to the gates. "We went in a little ways for clues. There was a huge battle that took place not long ago. Only a few days if you were to ask me. The damage is recent and there's still a taint of blood spilt in the air."

"What's Reecheru-ya doing?" Law asked.

"She's connected to Seelai," Merissa explained.

"What's that mean?" Luffy asked.

"She sent Seelai to scout ahead with a bird view," Merissa went into detail. "She then connected to him so she can see what he does. Anything that he sees, she can as well. Her eyes may be open here, but she's not seeing us."

Reecheru scared everyone by letting out a gasp of air and falling down onto her hands. "Oi, oi!" Zoro shouted.

"Does she usually hold her breath?" Franky asked.

"Don't be stupid," Merissa snapped. "Obviously she saw something that startled her out of the technique." Sweat was coming off of Reecheru as she took in gulps of air to calm herself. She vaguely felt someone placing their hand on her back.

Luffy, tired of waiting, rushed forward. "I found a good spot," he declared. Using his abilities he stretched his arms up and pulled himself to the top of the watch tower attached to the gate. Usopp was calling out for him to wait. Instead of doing what he said Luffy called Usopp to come up and see the view. Usopp rushed to begin his own climb to the top.

Once Usopp joined the two marvelled at how there was a country on top of the elephant. "It's like an island," Usopp said in amazement. He lowered his goggles to get a closer view of everything. "But that town is sort of..." Luffy didn't wait to hear what he had to say. He jumped over the edge and into the trees below. Usopp called down to the others that Luffy jumped ahead.

"I knew he would do that," Zoro said in a bored tone. "Any sign of curly brows?" Usopp took another look and replied in the negative. A hand gripping his shirt drew Zoro's attention back to Reecheru. She was using him to stabilize herself as she stood. The two climbed back onto their feet. As soon as Reecheru was steady Seelai landed on her shoulder and started nuzzling her cheek almost as if in apology. It's small body was hunched in what could only be described as a sad manner. "What happened?" Zoro asked.

Reecheru's gaze snapped to him as if she suddenly just realized he was there and holding her steady. She didn't get a chance to comment, however, when Merissa was suddenly in her face. "What exactly did you see?" she asked. Death was part of the job description. What had been so bad that it would freak out a veteran ninja?

"It's better if I show you," Reecheru shook her head. "Besides, I'd rather not go into detail if I can avoid it." She turned to look at the gates. "Either way, the coast is clear of anything for a distance. As far as Seelai could see, at any rate. We should be relatively unhindered as we press forward." After checking to see that Reecheru would be fine on her own, Zoro took point and passed the gates.

"I don't see why Luffy jumped," Franky spoke. "The gate is open."

"No," Law disagreed. "The gates aren't open. Something broke them down."

"Not to mention this path," Zoro said with a smirk. "It's too wide to be an animal trail." The smirk he wore said he was looking foward to a fight.

"Blood thirsty lot we joined," Merissa teased.

"This is some pretty serious destruction," Franky looked stunned. "And it's still fresh. Are the others going to be okay?" Robin pressed a hand to a stone in examination. Bits of it immediately fell off.

"Did either of you see what did this?" Law asked the two women.

Reecheru and Merissa shook their heads. "It's deserted," Reecheru supplied. "That or the inhabitants are better at hiding then expected."

"That's not to say," Merissa put in. "That we checked everywhere. We're only two people and this is still a pretty large area. Full of a jungle forest I might add. It's impossible for us to see everything that's going on."

"Let's proceed with caution," Zoro said. The smirk on his face grew larger as he readied Wado.

"Caution isn't exactly the word I would use for that look on your face," Reecheru sighed. "It looks like you're anxious for a fight." Usopp's yelling behind her went ignored.

As they progressed the group noticed the odd texture of the ground. "It's hard to walk," Zoro noted. Law had passed him and was leading at this point.

"It's elephant skin," Law explained. Usopp was walking backwards with his slingshot loaded and ready.

"The flowers are growing strangely," Robin noted.

"It would make sense," Reecheru agreed. "Elephant skin isn't exactly dirt. Plant life can't easily attach to it. Especially the kind that has a delicate root system. But it does make for some pretty scenery." They continued to move towards the town, unaware of being watched.

"I wonder what happened here," Franky spoke. "I can still smell the odor of gun powder and... gas, can you?" Usopp began shaking and muttering about being scared and waiting to relax somewhere peaceful.

The group suddenly stopped in their tracks. Law and Zoro readied their swords while Reecheru and Merissa pulled out kunai. "What is it?" Usopp started freaking out. "Do you see something?"

Zoro was the first to pinpoint the location of the hostile intent. "I got this," he announced. As he stepped forward a person rushed out of the trees towards them. Zoro blocked her first strike only to be shocked that she seemingly jumped in mid air and somersaulted over him. She came down to strike at him again. Zoro's block was strong, but he noticed something strange in her attack. "What is up with that weapon? I felt a shock coming from it."

The attack stopped when shouting could be heard. "WAIT! STOP CARROT!" Another female voice came from the trees. The attacker, Carrot, went from aggressive to confused in an instant. The trees began snapping and a giant alligator came at them from the side. Usopp was once again the first to shout in fright. "Forget about them," a dog woman on the alligator's back called down. "More importantly we have an intruder in the whale forest." Law announced that these were members of the Mink Tribe.

The one that had initially attacked them, a rabbit girl that was ironically named Carrot, landed a few feet from Zoro. She straightened up and looked a little worried towards the dog woman still on the giant alligator. "We have an intruder in Whale Forest!?" she asked.

"Yes," the woman answered. "We're in trouble. The Guardians will be mad." The two seemed to forget about the group that were close by.

"Just a minute!" Usopp called out. "Those clothes that you're wearing! Where did you get them? They belong to a friend of ours! What did you do to Nami!?"

"Are they a cannibal tribe?" Robin asked quietly.

"It's doubtful," Merissa spoke back. "Aside from the fact that they would have to be human to actually be cannibals for eating Nami."

"STOP SAYING SUCH SCARY THINGS!" Usopp snapped at them.

Continuing to ignore the group, Carrot leapt into the air. "Look how high she's going," Franky exclaimed. "Do all of the Mink Tribe have that ability?"

"I would think not," Law stated. "That particular Mink looked like a rabbit. A creature that is well known for jumping great distances because of it's hind legs."

"It makes sense if you think like that," Merissa agreed. "A rabbit Mink would most likely be able to jump further, or in this case, higher than any other."

"How is it? Can you see anything Carrot?" The unnamed Mink yelled up to the rabbit.

There was silence for a few seconds. "I do! It may already be too late." Carrot called back down. "There's a disturbance in the distance in the Whale Forest. On the other side of Karau City."

"I thought so, let's go Warney." The Canine Mink pulled on the reins of the alligator. "Get on Carrot!" The other shouted out their agreement. The Canine then turned to the humans gathered around the alligator. "We don't have time to transport you-teia people. Do as I say!" Zoro and Law looked a little affronted by the order given. The woman continued on without pause. "Go through the Right Rump Forest on your right and turn left at a deep, dark swamp. You'll reach the Rightflank Forest. You'll find the corpse of your-teia friend there."

Usopp's eyes bugged out at her words. "C-corpse!?" Everyone around now had expressions of shocked horror on their faces. Reecheru's hands tightened around her kunai as she trembled. She grit her teeth and glared down at the path.

"Wait at the Rightflank Forest," the woman pressed on. Carrot landed behind her and the alligator started moving away. "We'll be there later." The alligator picked up speed.

Usopp fell to his knees. "You've got to be kidding," he begged. "Please tell me that you're kidding!" He then started wailing loudly when it was obvious his plea would go unanswered. "I can't believe they were killed!"

"She said that there was a corpse," Robin stated logically. "Which means that they were not cannibalized."

"That's not the problem here," Usopp cried.

"I still say they can't be cannibals if they're not human," Merissa crossed her arms.

"Will you all listen to me!?" Usopp snapped.

"Calm down," Zoro looked at Usopp. "Old 'Spiral Eyebrows' was with them. Which means that he won't let anyone get killed."

"That's right," Franky agreed. "They won't be killed that easily. This must be a trick to make us submissive."

"Reecheru," Robin called out suddenly. Everyone turned to see that the woman was shaking violently. Her knuckles were white with as hard as she was gripping the kunai. "What's wrong, Reecheru?"

Taking in a shakey breath, she forced herself to stop shaking. It wasn't as easy as it normally was. "A corpse," she finally whispered. "It's just that..." She stopped as she seemed to think over what she wanted to say next.

"Is it about earlier?" Merissa asked. Her question caused everyone to remember what had happened to Reecheru before they passed through the gates.

Reecheru nodded her head as she worked up the ability to talk again. "Before we follow her direcitons," she started. "There's a place I need to show you. It's on the far side of the city."

"Are you sure we should go there?" Franky asked. "They seem to attack first, question later."

"If we should or not," Reecheru looked at him. "I need to get a closer look. It's something that I need to look into."

"She's right," Robin pointed out. "What we need is information. Are they the only tribe on this island? Is there really cannibalism involved?"

"Why are you obsessed with them being cannibals!?" Usopp snapped. "How can you all be so calm about this? You heard what she said. 'Corpse'!"

"Tra," Robin called out as she ignored Usopp. "You said that your friends were on this island."

"Yeah," Law confirmed.

"Do you have a way to contact them?"

"No, I didn't even expect to see them again." Law's eyes widened and he started to dig inside one of his pockets. "I forgot that I had this." He pulled out a small piece of paper. "A vivre card, it belongs to our navigator Bepo."

"That's right," Usopp got excited. "You had a talking Polar Bear in your crew, didn't you?"

"He had a talking what?" Merissa asked.

"This is where he came from," Law continued. He held his hand out in front of him with the palm up. In the center of his hand was the ripped card. It started moving in one direction. "But he didn't remember much of this land. He left the island when he was still little."

"Can we trust him?" Usopp looked fearful. "For instance, just for instance, he might become aware of his instincts as a member of a cannibal tribe."

"You have a wild imagination," Franky stated.

"Now who's obsessed with cannibalism," Merissa rolled her eyes.

Law turned back to look at everyone. His eyes were narrowed on Usopp. "I've known him for a decade," he said. "We can trust him. If you want reliable information, let's head straight." He turned back and started walking.

"I got a look from up there before," Usopp said. "If we go straight then we'll head right into the town."

Reecheru started following Law without anyone else moving. "I wanted to go that way in the first place," she reminded. "That place will answer some of our questions. But, it will also add a few more."

"We don't know what will be there," Usopp whined. "Will we be alright?" Everyone else started to follow after Law.

"The cannibal tribe might be there," Robin stated with a straight face. This caused Usopp to scream in terror.

Merissa leaned in close to Robin. "Sometimes I think you just say those things to get a reaction out of him," she teased. A small smirk was the only answer she got.

Zoro walked up next to Usopp. "It's better than going along with the unknown animal," he smiled. He then walked forward to catch up, leaving Usopp behind. Now resigned, Usopp's shoulders slumped in defeat as he followed after everyone.

After walking for a distance they finally arrived to the city. The buildings were all crumbling and falling apart despite looking relatively new. "I guess this place really was attacked," Robin looked around. "This city looks like it could house several hundred thousand, but there's not a single person around."

"Let's get out of here," Usopp cried. "We'll find Sanji and the rest then leave. It's really dangerous here!"

His cries went ignored as everyone scattered about to do some investigating. Robin entered one of the houses off the street. Even though a portion of the wall had been blown off, she still entered through the door. Merissa had watched with a raised eyebrow, wondering if that was an archeologist thing to show respect to the previous tennants or if it was just Robin's thing. She came back out of the building. Merissa and Usopp were the only ones that hadn't wandered too far. Usopp was pacing back and forth, worried that the enemy was still around and would get them.

"There's evidence that people were living here until recently," Robin told Merissa. "There are signs that the destruction was recent as well." Merissa nodded in understanding, that confirmed what everyone had suspected upon seeing the gates to the island. She watched Law as he looked into buildings a distance away. He had a severe expression on his face. With so much happening, she really hadn't had a chance to discuss what was happening between the two of them. Now that they're potentially entering another dangerous situation, she didn't think they would have an opportunity to discuss it for some time to come.

Reecheru walked through the streets with determination. She had to get to the place that Seelai had spotted. Zoro was following close behind, but he paused briefly every now and then to look at the destruction. He was quick catch up to her right after. It wasn't before long that Reecheru came to the place she wanted to avoid, but needed to investigate at the same time. Several wooden steaks were stuck into the ground. They took the shape of the letter x with another pole going through the middle. There were nine crosses in total. Two were extremely large. All of them shared two things in common. Manacles were secured on each end of the crosses and they were covered in blood. "Was this a place for torture?" Zoro asked.

"This is the place," Reecheru quietly pointed out. "The ground is soaked with blood. Judging by the amount and considering how much the average body contains it was more than that. Those responsible for this allowed their victims to heal to a certain degree before beginning the torture again. Who ever was shackled here endured pain beyond measure." Zoro glanced at Reecheru and noticed she was shaking again. Her stiffness spoke that it wasn't fear that had her trembling, it was anger. She was furious over the evidence of torture. One could only imagine what she would do if she ever witnessed it, let alone got her hands on the actual person responsible.

Zoro put his hand on Reecheru's shoulder. Her shaking stopped as she looked up at him. The look he gave caused her to give a small smile. While he didn't hold as much empathy as she did, he certainly wouldn't turn a blind eye to such a heinous act. There were just some lines that you didn't cross.

"Oi," Law called out to everyone. "Come and see this." The Straw Hats began to gather around the captain of the Heart Pirates. He was staring down at a large impression in the skin of the giant elephant. "It's a large footprint," he explained.

"Do you think it's another elephant?" Franky asked.

"This city is dangerous," Usopp came running up. "We'll find Sanji and the oth... AAAAHHHH! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" He finally noticed the footprint in front of him.

"Did some monsters and beasts attack the Minks country?" Law asked. "But it might be an internal discord, looking at those claw marks."

"One thing is certain," Robin walked up. "This country was suddenly ruined one or two weeks ago." Everyone was now looking at her instead of the footprint. All trying to see if she was being serious. However, this was Robin and she was always serious when it came to history. It didn't matter if it was hundreds of years ago or yesterday.

"Then that means that Sanji and the others..." Usopp began to tremble in fright. "Were involved in the whole thing?" Before anyone else could voice their opinion the island began to shake. "WHAT IS IT THIS TIME!?" Usopp was once again crying out in fright.


End file.
